Cassirer Art Of Research

Ernst Cassirer(1874-1945), a great philosopher and esthetician in twentieth century, has a broad and deep thought. Nowadays many people pay attention to the study of him, and many Chinese scholars also make a comment and study on his thoughts from different perspectives. This article aims to have a systemic understanding on the Art of Cassirer by carding and study. This paper is divided into three chapters:Chapter I: Summarize the philosophic basis of Cassirer's Artistic Theory– the philosophy of human cultural symbols.Chapter II: State the Art of Cassirer's ideas specifically. Cassirer thought the myth not only appeared first, but also is the source of the formation of all cultural symbols, therefore, the art originated from the myth. While the art in the development process is gradually freed itself from the shackles of the myth, established an independent position, but art has always contains the myth factor. Since the art has become the independent cultural symbols, it should have its own nature. In the discussion before the nature of art, Cassirer first make a criticism of the traditional theoretical exposition of the nature of art parties, such as theory of imitation,theory of emotional expression. Meanwhile, he also put something reasonable of these theories into his own theory. Cassirer thought that the diversity in the arts in a positive dynamic of emotion and imagination are indispensable, but only the feelings and imagination also can not be called a true art, as the emotion and imagination must be given the appearance. Configuration is the core of the nature of art. Therefore, the Art can be divided into dynamic nature of life and emotion of the formal. Cassirer made a great emphasis on the educational value of the aesthetic function that the art can give the freedom to the inside of human's heart. To some extent, the value also could deepen the artistic nature. In this chapter ,I also discusses the artistic development of the internal driving force. Cassirer thought that the reason of the development of the art is the traditional power struggle between the contradictions and conflicts in its strength and innovation. It is these two opposing forces struggle to promote a dialectical the arts.Chapter III: To require the reasonable value of the art by the research on Cassirer's artistic theory, while analysis its shortage dialectically. Cassirer's artistic value is certainly to affirm the subject of art, emphasize the role of art in the initiative, efforts to adhere to the dialectical unity of emotional and rational aspects. Limitations and inadequacies of the main ideas is of transcendental idealism, including their nature, ignorant the material production activities in the role of art, emphasis on art forms too much, such as the tendency to formalism.