中国当代美学的转型:从美的本质探求到艺术的文化阐释

纵观20世纪80年代以来的中国美学演变历程,有一条若隐若现而又内在地存在着的逻辑主线,这就是从美的本质的争论到实践美学的论证再到艺术或审美的文化研究。这一学术转型包含着两个层面的变化:一方面是理论观点的演进,即从美的本质的理论方位论争,到以人的本质为理论定位的实践美学理论建构,再到把艺术或审美的文化阐释;另一方面是研究范式的转换,即从“形而上”的理论推论到“形而下”的事实阐释。从中国当代美学学科发展角度审视,这一变化体现的是学术研究的推进与深化,若将其置于当代世界美学乃至于人文和社会科学发展态势观之,这一变化呈现出了中国美学向国际学术旨趣的趋近或接轨倾向。

The Transformation of China's Contemporary Aesthetics: From the Exploration of the Nature of Beauty to the Cultural Interpretation of Art

Through an analysis of the development of Chinese aesthetics since the 1980s, there does not exist an underlying logical line of its development. That is, from the disputes over the nature of beauty and the argument about practical aesthetics to the cultural study of art or aesthetics. This academic transformation reveals itself on two levels: 1. the theoretical development, that is, from the theoretical disputes over the nature of beauty, through the theoretical construction of practical aesthetics with human nature as its theoretical basis, to the cultural interpretation of art or aesthetics; 2. the transformation of research approaches, that is, from theoretical deduction to practical interpretation. From the perspective of the development of China's contemporary aesthetics as a discipline, this transformation reveals the development of its academic research. From the perspective of aesthetics of the contemporary world and the development of humanities and social sciences, this transformation reveals the fact that Chinese aesthetics is marching towards the academic orientation of the world.