From Metaphysical Moral Idea To Daily Reflection

Kant and Wittgenstein have both common spirits and differences which were caused by different time's ideas. The concentrative expression is in their aesthetics.Firstly, Kant's system of metaphysics impacts on Wittgenstein's early philosophy through Schopenhauer. With antinomies of aesthetic judgment, Kant proposes that the finality without end of aesthetic object points to concepts of reason beyond the empirical, which gives the aesthetic a character of transcending the empirical world. Schopenhauer'Voluntarism based on Kant's dichotomy of phenomenon and thing-in-itself, emphasizes that objects in empirical world are phenomenon and not free, and that will is thing-in-itself and free. In the process of objectification of the will, there are grades of objectification, which is idea. Idea has not yet become the individual in phenomenal world, so contemplation on idea is also transcending this world. The Aesthetic is contemplation on idea and therefore Schopenhauer gives metaphysical meanings to the aesthetic as Kant. The aesthetic and ethic thoughts in Wittgenstein's early philosophy are almost a reproduction of that of Schopenhauer. He thinks that thoughts are pictures of the world, and language has common logical structure with states of affairs, so only states of affairs in the world can be said, while the moral and the aesthetic are mystical and can not be said, but alter the limit of the world. These thoughts differentiate Wittgenstein's philosophy from Russell's logical atomism. The aesthetic views in Wittgenstein and Kant have something in common, both of them put aesthetic in the field of transcending experience and not in the real world, but Kant's standard of limit is possible experience, while that of Wittgenstein is meaningful language.Secondly, both Kant and Wittgenstein have a strong moral aim, and the aesthetic has great importance in it. Schopenhauer thinks that the morally absolute good can only be achieved by going beyond of the standpoint of individual and basing on that of the thing-in-itself. But he cannot provide an effective way to facilitate this transformation. This is what Wittgenstein strives to break through. Besides, the difficulties of logical atomism in Wittgenstein's early philosophy make him abandon afterwards the theory of picture and insist that the meaning of language comes from its use. The diversity of language games eliminates the unified limit of world, while the standpoint of transformation from individual to the world itself needs to grasp the world as a whole. But, to such a world without unified limit, this grasp is debatable. Wittgenstein must solve these problems in his later philosophy. The aesthetic is the solution to these problems. Wittgenstein induces the attitude of reflection on object itself in aesthetic judgment into philosophy, makes philosophy a basic life-style, and faces everyday life and language with the aesthetic attitude, which makes us realize the limit of our practice and grasp the world as a whole. This is the presupposition of moral standpoint. Kant points out that the aesthetic can be the bridge linking up theoretical and practical reason and has moral value, just because it is a reflective judgment, and he reaches the conclusion that beauty is the symbol of the morally good. It is thus clear that both Kant and Wittgenstein give great importance to reflective attitude.But Kant has to draw support from the existence of the God when he links up theoretical and practical reason with judgment. This metaphysical hypothesis is not only debatable in logic, but also has no effect in practice. Wittgenstein advocates analyzing phenomenon directly, facing language facts and making no metaphysical hypothesis. He regards philosophy as an activity and life-style. This is a representative orientation in contemporary philosophy. It denies metaphysical hypothesis and needs to find the foundation of value to face with the varying world. It is the Aesthetic that will provide us this foundation.Kant's philosophy has the character of enlightenment, and the aesthetic in it is an important moment. Contemporary philosophy pays much attention to his announcement of reflection in the aesthetic. This represents the position of many philosophers, Wittgenstein included.