A Return To The Existential Origin Of Art

Based on the researches of Heidegger's Ontology and Gadamer's hermeneutics, I explores the fundamental distinction between traditional "experience aesthetics" and the artistic thoughts of Heidegger and Gadamer. By explaining the "experience" characteristic of traditional aesthetics, I point out that the "experience aesthetics" has its own original ground, that is, man's being-in-the-world and the genuine relationship between human being and thing. So the core of this thesis is to interpret the inherent relationship between Ontology-hermeneutic genuine existence theory and their criticism of the traditional "experience aesthetics". By this way, I want to argue that all the purpose of Ontology-hermeneutic criticism of the traditional experience aesthetics aim to human's genuine existence be in accordance with the truth of art and beauty, and at last, the original being-form of art must become the mode of human's genuine existence.Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to excavate the regulation of human being's existential origin in order to criticize "experience aesthetics". All my analysis comes to the following conclusions:1. The experience aesthetics is founded on the structure which stems from the confrontation and struggle between the subject and the object, that is to say, the subject has become the main pillar of the modern experience aesthetics. If something has been regarded as beauty, it must mean that such thing has been experienced and is within the subjective grasp. School of the experience aesthetics always believes that thing only exist for a subject, it must be an entity which is essentially independent of any other thing. So, traditional aesthetics always regards anything as an object which must be understood and recognized by a subject and just configured for the subjective capacity,2. The main presupposition of experience aesthetics is separation and opposition of subject and object. Object is a kind of substance itself and is experienced at the mercy of subject. But we find experience aesthetics itself does not exist in nature. It is only abstract result of Epistemology. Ontology-hermeneutic theory that criticizing abstract intrinsic substance just dispel the basis of the experience aesthetics.3. The characteristics of experience aesthetics return to subject itself, that attribute all thing to subject, and subject returns to itself again. Only do we realize to subjective intrinsic nature, we can get actual experience of appreciation of beauty.4. Aesthetic emotion transcendent variable meaning of intrinsic psychology and physiology in essence. The significance of aesthetic emotion is to build a kind of world in which human being and thing can co-exist altogether harmonically.5. Art is a kind of special field in which human being and nature can rely on and play with each other. Artwork lets thing be itself and at the same time make up us genuinely.The structure of this thesis as follows:Chapter 1: "Evaluation of modern 'experience aesthetics'." In it, I analyses main idea of modern experience aesthetics, basic concept and its origin and interpret the significance, its history of experience aesthetics. Heidegger thinks that it is an essential mark of modern time that artwork becomes an object of experience. The experience aesthetics makes human being return to his inner-ness and at last, the value and significance of any thing must be evaluated by this kind of experience, in other words, thing must be connected with an aesthetic subject. Through insight into the essence of aesthetic experience, we find out the mode of traditional aesthetics-the pattern of contradiction between subject and object which is based on the modern conscious philosophy. Therefore, I think that the prosperity of experience aesthetics is coupled with the emergence of this pattern (subject-object).Chapter 2, "De-constructing the basis of experience aesthetics", I introduce the main steps that de-construct the traditional aesthetics' pattern of subject-object. Heidegger's Ontology proves that World is not a substance or a pure or sample object which stands against human being. From the standpoint of "Ontological difference" theory, World must be accepted as a struggle between the presence and absence which includes the particular relationship between man and thing. We can see that World is not always the pure emergence (Openness), on the other hand, there is an essential submergence which Heidegger calls "Earth" in it. Earth opens itself partly and refuses to emerge absolutely. Seeking the original relationship between World and Earth, Heidegger proves that there is not a pure and sample object, thing must be regarded as an essential part in our existence.Chapter 3: "Transcending the 'inner-ness' of aesthetic experience", its fundamental aim is to criticize the characteristics of Inner-ness of aesthetics experience. Discussing the questions of Other, we find that the researches of Other meeting with important significance, and that there Others being proved world and thing contains surplus vision that I (as a subject) can't possess entirely. They all surpluses my experience field.Chapter 4: "The world-building function of aesthetic emotion and existential mood." We insist on mood not only be psychological and physiologic changes of subject itself. On the contrary, moods relate with our existential world, and present a special world. As a kind of natural mood, aesthetic emotion builds up a special aesthetic world. Human being open themselves to thing and world, and are eager to return to their origin .Chapter 5: "Return to the existential origin of Art.", I inquire further into the origin of artwork in this part. Heidegger regards artwork as a genuine field which exposes the original relationship between man and thing. In this particular playing field, thing and man co-exist and thing which reveal their genuine being can not be treated as strange objects. Artwork, in fact, exposes the genuine mode of things' being and let every thing be itself (let things free). By means of the light of artwork, the existential truth that man and thing come from the same origin is revealed to us. Finally, the right form of treating artwork is to reform our human being's existence whenever we are thrown to the shocking power of the artwork. Now we can see that this form already transforms Heidegger's principle of artwork into existential principle of man's being-in-the-world. It asks human being to find ("build") a right place among all the things.