论“中国美学”的学科特质

On the Characteristics of Chinese Aesthetics as a Discipline

狭义的“中国美学”是指中国古代美学思想及其在当代的研究和继承发展。它是中国人数千年来审美实践和思想概括的产物。中国古代只是没有“美学”这一学科名称,但是早已有了丰富的美学思想。中国美学不仅包含在美学思想中,更感性地存留在体现审美意识的器物和历代文学艺术作品中。审美意识是中国美学的源头活水。中国美学元范畴围绕一个核心不断衍生,形成了独特的以意象为中心的范畴系统。佛学思想的融入有力地开拓了中国美学的发展。中国美学重体验、重视主体的直觉思维等特点,将自然规律与社会法则贯通起来,体现了生命意识。中国古代美学思想中有着潜在的体系,需要我们借鉴西方,面向当代的审美实践进行理论建构,以彰显中国美学的独特性。中国美学通过与西方美学的对话融合,走向现代,走向世界,最终成为多元一体的世界美学的有机组成部分。

The existing concept of Chinese aesthetics has both a broad and a narrow sense.This article mainly discusses the narrow sense of Chinese aesthetics as referring to ancient Chinese aesthetics and aesthetic consciousness,as well as the contemporary research,inheritance,and development which mainly traces back to the ancient Chinese aesthetics before the introduction of Western aesthetics into China.Aesthetic consciousness is the source of Chinese aesthetics.The aesthetic tastes of Chinese people throughout history represent the accumulation of their long-term aesthetic practices,embodied in historical relics such as artifacts,literature,and art.As a result,it has built up a long-standing tradition worthy of theoretical generalization and summation from a contemporary perspective.The ancient Chinese people emphasized not only their subjective aesthetic consciousness in their appreciation of natural landscapes,but also the presentation of individual experiences and the appreciation and recognition of life,to attain a state of spiritual freedom that highlights the value and meaning of life.Therefore,Chinese aesthetics prefers intuitive experience and poetic expression within an infinite association through analogies,which indicates the emphasis of life in Chinese aesthetics.It also attaches importance to organic integrity and pays more attention to meanings and symbols(象)rather than objects,through which it develops an aesthetic tradition centered on meaning-symbols(意象)that contains its own potential categorical system.Besides,another character of Chinese aesthetics is its tolerance and inclusiveness attained by learning and integrating aesthetic cultures of different ethnic groups and countries.Therefore,it is necessary to construct a knowledge system with those rich aesthetic resources that flourished by inheriting its own traditions,learning from Western cultures,and connecting with contemporary aesthetic realities.Most importantly,in order to protect the particular value of Chines aesthetics,the unique aesthetic concepts of ancient China which included a rich tapestry of terminologies,categories,and propositions should not be abandoned curtly.However,delving into the intricate nuances of Chinese aesthetics requires not only a profound understanding of ancient Chinese literature,but also a cultivated appreciation of Western aesthetics and a global perspective that is open to diverse cultural influences.Actually,Western aesthetic methods and academic norms have influenced the construction of Chinese aesthetics as a discipline.It should also be noticed that there are not only similarities between Chinese and Western aesthetics,but also differences which will lead to contradictions and conflicts,so dialogue and respect are indispensable.Hence,on the one side,it is important to learn from Westerm aesthetics,for it provides paradigms and research methods for organizing Chinese aesthetics.On the other side,the study of ancient Chinese aesthetics in contemporary times should take the historical context of ancient China into account and at the same time not be restricted to it.That means,the resources from ancient Chinese aesthetics need to be developed in intercultural communication with the West and applied to contemporary aesthetic practices,so as to activate its valuable and vital content.Learning from the West,integrating Chinese and Western aesthetics through dialogue,and at last establishing a modern Chinese aesthetic discipline that is regarded as an organic component of a pluralistic and integrated world aesthetics are important aspects for Chinese aesthetics as it moves towards modernity while integrating into the world.