二十世纪五六十年代美学大讨论的学术意义

从1956年到1965年,由对朱光潜唯心主义美学思想的批判而发端,中国美学界展开了一场绵延十年之久的美学大讨论。从学术史的角度审视这次美学大讨论,无论其历史贡献还是后续影响以及当代启示,均有值得深入思考和总结的价值与意义。其历史贡献首先表现在认识论美学研究范式的确立,以及与此相关的四派美学观点的形成,其次在于汇聚和培养起了一支阵容壮大、实力雄厚的研究队伍。其启示是,学术的发展必须有一个相对宽松和具有包容性的社会与意识形态环境,百家争鸣是推动学术进步的动力。同时,知识学人敢于追求创新,敢于在观念上标新立异,并且具有捍卫真理的勇气和容忍批评的气度,是学术进步不可缺少的主体条件,这也是美学大讨论留给当代学人的一条重要经验。

The Significance of the Big Discussion of Aesthetics from 1950s to 1960s

A Big Discussion of Aesthetics was initiated by the criticism to Zhu Guangqian’s idealistic aesthetics lasted a decade from 1956 till 1965.A reflection on and a summary of it in the perspective of the academic history would be worthy and important in terms of its contributions,influences and inspirations.Its contributions are embodied,firstly,in the establishment of the epistemological paradigm of aesthetics study,and in the formation of the Four Schools of ideas.Secondly,it attracted very big regiments of researchers.Its influences consist of two aspects,separately positive and negative.The positive influences have two aspects: on one hand,its regiments of researchers continue to be the main forces from the time of Reform and Opening-up Policy after the Great Cultural Revolution till the early 1990s;on the other hand,the epistemological paradigm for aesthetics study lasts long as well.The negative influences and limitations are also displayed in two aspects: Firstly,the simplification of Marxist foundation for aesthetics study simply as an epistemology understood as representation,resulting in the rejection of the rich resources and methodology in Marxist philosophy,and in the stricturization of questions and issues in a narrow and closed framework.Secondly,the metaphysical fashion of the Big Discussion and its disconnectivity from the aesthetic phenomena in real life and the aesthetic activities in art.Its inspirations are that a relative free and tolerant social-ideological circumstance is the precondition for academic development while free discussion is the drive to academic advance.At the same time,a desire to go beyond the old fashions and a bravery to be independent and a courage and a tolerance for defending the truth are the personal qualities of the researchers.A lesson left to the researchers in the field of aesthetics today,indeed.