Research On The Method Of Wilfried Van Damme’s Aesthetic Anthropology

Discipline construction of Chinese aesthetic anthropology get great development in recent decades, but the research method and system has not yet fully established. Study of aesthetic anthropology method of Van Damme have great reference significance. Van Damme advocates the empirical research, cross-cultural comparative study, three research methods on the context. Empirical research ask aesthetic anthropology research for verbal expression, on the basis of the data of traditional aesthetic value in the study of literature in the eyes of Van Damme is only secondhand information. Only by adhering to the experience data as the basis, to be effective, scientific research results. A comparative study of cross culture, Van Damme think we should keep a tolerant, open attitude towards the cultural diversity between, contradiction between this diversity is essentially the opposite of form and universal form principle. We can not regard own culture as the center to evaluate other ethnic or cultural quality, compare the binding must abandon self national culture deep into the study of cultural context. At the same time, because our society is a common link as a whole, therefore, he insisted on a whole view of context. Advocate to explore the relationship between the aesthetic preference and social culture value ideal in the overall context, and then found the ideal of social culture is changing with the time change, aesthetic preference by the ideal effect will inevitably different culture.The three methods of Van Damme’ Aesthetic Anthropology is on the diversity of aesthetic preference of, and ultimately solve the universality and relativity aesthetic problems. These three methods are interrelated, mutual collaboration. Using this method, we can find some enlightenment for the construction of aesthetic anthropology China. These three methods are asked on the diversity of aesthetic preference of, and ultimately solve the universality and relativity aesthetic problems.The first part of the thesis, mainly from the perspective of aesthetic anthropology Van Damme basic research are introduced, the basic outline of Van Damme aesthetic anthropology research method. Mainly discusses the three methods of anthropology research:Based on experience; cross cultural perspective and emphasis on context.In Van Damme’s view, study the characteristics of social culture must rely on the three methods, the author first gives an overview on the opening characteristics and key points of the three methods. Based on experience, the key is to get people to view oral expression; cross cultural perspective should be the connotation and extension of first extended the aesthetics concept, make it become effective cross-cultural work; emphasis on context, as the society as a whole, the social phenomenon in the whole social culture within the scope of. The three anthropology research method has reference significance to aesthetics, the aesthetics research has been anthropologists ignored, Van Damme analyzes the causes of this phenomenon, requirements for the aesthetic study of seek truth from facts, adhere to a neutral form of dualism, and finally to believe that non-western nation also express their aesthetic point of view with language. To solve these problems, solve the obstacles for the integration of Anthropology and Aesthetics, to lay the foundation for the following detailed.The second part, from the perspective of cross culture focuses on Van Damme aesthetic anthropology methodology. The premise with a cross-cultural perspective of aesthetic anthropology is to determine a cross-cultural applicability aesthetic concept. This paper from three aspects:the first is the definition of aesthetics anthropology in literature was modified; secondly to extend from the extension of the concept of aesthetics; the last is aesthetic perception towards a multi sensory, emphasizing the aesthetic and in addition to visual and auditory perception between other. Application of comparative perspective of aesthetic anthropology in the global scope, means in the study of aesthetics in general we need to discuss the aesthetic theory and aesthetic theory of relativity problem. By comparing with the traditional aesthetic general relativity theory and aesthetics, Van Damme found that the relativistic and universal theory is the coordination and coexist with digestion, and two opposite and standard culture position in the study of aesthetics Chinese.The third part, is to discuss the empirical research method of Van Damme’s aesthetic anthropology research methods. The empirical study as the basic method of anthropology, is a scientific, specific performance for the approach of field investigation, the purpose is to solve the "what" is a human problem, with the same purpose and as a uniquely human existence aesthetics. But the empirical research method has not entered the aesthetics research vision. Van Damme put forward specific empirical research methods on dimensions, including the study of aesthetic study of vocabulary, artists and art criticism. The empirical method of this study, bring vitality to the study of philosophy into the bottleneck period of aesthetics. The aesthetic study of aesthetic criticism, study the artist’s research and aesthetic vocabulary are based, can be traced.The fourth part, is the study of the key meaning of Van Damme’s aesthetic anthropology-contextualism..In aesthetics, formalism and contextualism are two kinds of methods of opposites, discussed is the cultural significance of form and society is separable problem. But in the context of Van Damme’s approach, only to reveal’form preference’facts or only records’ content preference’is not context approach, using this method still needs to consider the form, but is not the simple combination of form and meaning. Contextualism attention to form and context in the positive aesthetic response process of interdependence and interaction. Van Damme case of four non western nation’s research shows the specific application context, research methods. The basic steps of research is the first to identify the social visual aesthetic preference; then, determine which has the cultural symbolism of the type is induced by stimulation of the visual aesthetic preference; at last, to get from different culture, comparing different empirical data about the aesthetic preference and represent the cultural significance.Van Damme’s method of research on aesthetic anthropology, ethnographic data to experience to grasp as a starting point, through the exploration of certain social aesthetics between ideas and social cultural ideal contact--the ideal of social culture will influence the aesthetic preference of people--to explain the aesthetic preference of cultural diversity. The method of scientific research of anthropology into aesthetics, the speculative research methods of philosophy and find a way out in the objective, true inquiry. Have a great enlightenment to the study of Chinese aesthetic anthropology.