Summary:
This paper explores Chernyshevsky's aesthetic thought, especially the concept of "beauty is life", and reveals its new value in the contemporary social and cultural context. This paper first reviews the translation process and academic controversy of "Beauty is Life", and analyzes the original context and personal background of Chernyshevsky's thought. Subsequently, the intersection of Feuerbach's humanistic aesthetics and Marxist practical theory in Chernyshevsky's aesthetics is discussed, emphasizing its intermediary role and connecting humanism and socialist aesthetics. This paper emphasizes the perceptual standard and realistic character of "beauty is life", and discusses the function of art in reflecting life and moral improvement.
I. Introduction
As a famous Russian literary theorist and revolutionary democrat in the 19th century, Nikolai Gavriilevich Chernyshevsky's aesthetic ideas occupy a pivotal position in the history of art and philosophy in Russia and even in the world. His theories, especially the proposition that "beauty is life", not only impacted the conservative aesthetic concept in Russia at the time, but also had a profound impact on later realist art movements, such as socialist realism. Chernyshevsky's aesthetics, with its profound spirit of realism and distinctive social criticism, have become the key to understanding the development of Russian culture and art in the 19th century.
II. The Translation Process and Controversy of "Beauty is Life".
A. Overview of Early Translations
1. Formation and dissemination of the initial translation
Chernyshevsky first proposed "Прекрасное есть жизнь" in his aesthetic work "The Aesthetic Relationship between Art and Reality", which was initially translated as "beauty is life", and this translation quickly spread in Russian and even international academic circles, becoming a landmark expression of Chernyshevsky's aesthetic thought. The formation of the early translations was mainly influenced by the Russian context of the time and the translator's understanding of Chernyshevsky's theory, aiming to convey the core idea that his art was closely related to real life.
2. Comparison between different translations
As Chernyshevsky's works became widely disseminated, there were differences in the translation of "Прекрасное есть жизнь" in different language versions. The English version is often translated as "Beauty is life" and the German version is "Schönheit ist Leben", although these translations retain the correspondence between "beauty" and "life", but the subtle differences in specific expressions reflect the interpretation of Chernyshevsky's aesthetics in different cultural backgrounds, as well as the diversity of translation strategies.
B. Differences and discussions in the academic community
1. Different understandings of the concept of "life".
Academics are divided on the interpretation of the word "life". Some scholars believe that "life" here refers to the concrete practice of daily life, emphasizing that art should reflect the material aspects of reality; The other school of thought advocates that "life" should be understood as a broad sense of life activities, covering spiritual, emotional, cultural and other non-material aspects, and believes that Chernyshevsky emphasizes the presentation of life as a whole through art.
2. The core issues of the translation dispute
At the heart of the controversy is how to accurately grasp the core of Chernyshevsky's aesthetics, that is, the essential connection between art and life/life. Is it a focus on material reality or a broader biological, spiritual life? Can "life" fully convey the close interweaving of art, individual life experience, and social reality that Chernyshevsky refers to?
C. Analysis of the cultural and philosophical context of translation differences
The root of the difference in the translation lies in the cultural philosophy behind the translator and the multiple interpretations of Chernyshevsky's theory. Western translations are often based on Enlightenment rationalism, focusing on the independent value of art, so they tend to be a direct interpretation of the material aspect of life; Scholars in Russia, on the other hand, are more likely to be influenced by Eastern European philosophy and understand "life" as a synthesis of life experience, which is consistent with Chernyshevsky's humanistic tendencies. In addition, the analysis of the philosophical background of translation also needs to consider the social and cultural context of the translation period, such as the emphasis on realism in the period of social transition in Russia from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, which influenced the bias towards the translation of Chernyshevsky's "life". In short, the difference in translation is not only a technical problem of text conversion, but also a reflection of the depth of cultural and philosophical communication and theoretical understanding.
III. 原文语境下的"Beauty is Life"
A. Lexical semantic analysis
"Beautiful"与"Life"的词源及多维度含义
"Прекрасное" derives from the Greek πέκρασις (preksis), meaning "appearance, appearance", and by extension "beauty, beauty" in Russian. And the etymology of "Жизнь" (žizn', which means "life, life", refers directly to the substitution of breath, implying vitality and dynamic processes. Chernyshevsky's use of these two words not only emphasizes the appearance of beauty, but also contains the vitality and process of life, reflecting the dynamic and practical nature of his aesthetics.
B. Background checks
1. Chernyshevsky's background and personal experience
Chernyshevsky was active in the mid-to-late 19th century, during a period of drastic social transformation in Russia, with the abolition of serfdom and the emergence of capitalism and democratic thought. He himself came from an aristocratic background, but he joined the revolution and was exiled, and his personal experience profoundly influenced his concern and critical attitude towards social reality, which led him to advocate art in aesthetics to reflect life, rather than escape from reality.
2. The influence of the choice of the Russian national path
Chernyshevsky's aesthetic outlook reflects this "Russian road" in Russia's attempt to combine Western Europe with the preservation of national characteristics in its search for a path to modernization, building a bridge between Western art theory and local reality, advocating the national and critical nature of art, and pointing out the way for the development of Russian art.
C. Distinguish between the concepts of "life" and "life".
1. The perspective of biologic aesthetics
From the perspective of Feuerbach's theory of life, "life" is the basis of aesthetics, emphasizing that art should reflect the harmony between the essence of human life and nature and emotion. Chernyshevsky's "beauty is life" echoes it, placing beauty in the flow and change of life, and art is a direct expression of life experience, rather than an abstract concept.
2. Deepening of the theory from "life" to "life".
"Life" focuses on the material and social aspects of reality, while Chernyshevsky's original meaning may be broader, emphasizing the relationship between art and life as a whole. The concept of "life" deepens this understanding, connecting beauty with human spirit, emotion, and inner vitality, transcending the superficial aspects of everyday life and touching the deep value of art. This is not only a reinterpretation of Chernyshevsky's aesthetics, but also an expansion of its theoretical depth, making it more in line with the pluralistic life experience and humanistic care of contemporary aesthetics.
IV. The Convergence of Feuerbach's Humanism and Marxist Pragmatism
A. The Influence of Feuerbach's Aesthetic View of Life
1. The harmony between the essence of man and nature
Feuerbach emphasized that the essence of human beings lies in the harmony and unity of human perceptual intuition and nature, and believed that art is a direct expression of human perceptual intuition and reflects the essence of human beings. Chernyshevsky was influenced by this, put forward that "beauty is life", regarded art as the intuitive embodiment of life, emphasized that art should reflect the reality of human life and nature, and pursued the harmony between art and human nature and society.
2. Sensual intuition and the essence of beauty
On the basis of Feuerbach's intuition, Chernyshevsky deepened his understanding of beauty, believing that beauty is an intuitive manifestation of life, not an abstract concept. Through the intuition of art, the artist reveals the beauty of life, allows the audience to feel the truth and richness of life, and then understands the essence of human beings, so that art becomes a bridge between man and nature, life, and between people.
B. The Fusion of Marxist Practical Theory and Aesthetics
1. Practical activities and the creation of beauty
The Marxist theory of practice emphasizes the decisive role of practice in understanding the world, and Chernyshevsky integrates this into aesthetics, proposing that art comes from practical life, that is, the creation of beauty is the direct result of life practice. Art is not only a reflection of life, but also a critique and promotion of life practice, which is the core of the creation of beauty.
2. The realistic basis and class attributes of aesthetics
Under Marxist theory, Chernyshevsky's aesthetics emphasizes the realistic basis of art, which is closely related to social reality, reflects social contradictions, and has class attributes. The beauty of art is therefore not only the beauty of life, but also the beauty of social criticism, the beauty of class struggle, and art reflects the contradictions of social reality while reflecting life, and has become a tool for social change.
C. Chernyshevsky's role as an aesthetic mediator
1. The transition from humanism to socialism
Chernyshevsky built a bridge between Feuerbach's humanism and Marxism, integrated the individualistic intuition and natural harmony of humanism into the Marxist theory of practice, and put forward the social responsibility of art, so that art can move from individual intuition to social criticism and become a force to promote social progress.
2. The internal consistency between "beauty is life" and the theory of practice
Chernyshevsky's "beauty is life" is not only an intuitive emphasis on life, but also the embodiment of practicality. Life is the beauty of practical activities, the beauty of life, the beauty of art, and the beauty of practice. Art is consistent with life practice, artistic beauty is consistent with life beauty, and Chernyshevsky aesthetics has realized the deep integration of humanism and Marxist practice theory in "beauty is life", and created a new direction of aesthetics.
V. "Beauty is life": the manifestation of sensibility and realistic character
A. The aesthetic proposition of the sensibility standard
1. Real sensual experience and perception of beauty
In Chernyshevsky's aesthetic concept of "beauty is life", he emphasizes perceptual experience as the basis of beauty, and believes that artistic creation and appreciation should come from real life feelings. Artists need to experience life in order to convey vivid beauty through their works, and the audience also needs to use personal experience to perceive the deep beauty of the works, and the beauty of art lies in the direct and real integration of life sensibility.
2. Emotional resonance and spiritual purification of art
In Chernyshevsky's aesthetics, art arouses the emotional resonance of the audience through the expression of life experience and achieves spiritual purification. Art is not only the display of external beauty, but also the exchange of inner emotions, it touches the soul, stimulates resonance, and promotes the sublimation of people's moral sentiments.
B. Theory and Practice of Realistic Character
1. The proposition that art reflects real life
Chernyshevsky advocated that art should directly reflect real life and reveal social contradictions, and that life is the source and destination of art. Works of art should be faithful to life, show the real social picture, and let the audience understand the truth of life through art.
2. The function of social criticism and moral improvement
Chernyshevsky's aesthetics emphasizes the critical nature of art, and art should be the mirror of social morality, reflecting and criticizing reality, and improving morality through art. The realistic character of art is not only to reflect, but also to change, art should be the driving force of social progress, through criticism and reflection, to stimulate the moral awakening and progress of society, the realistic character of art is the driving force of moral and social change.
C. The embodiment and challenge of the concept of "life" in modern art and culture
1. The embodiment of life in contemporary art
In modern art, the concept of "beauty is life" is embodied in the display of the diversity of life, such as installation art, performance art, etc., directly participating in life, the audience is no longer a spectator, but an experiencer, and art becomes the co-creation of life experience. Art explores the essence of life, reflects modern issues such as science and technology, environmental protection, etc., and has a closer relationship between art and life, challenging traditional boundaries.
2. Cultural Challenges and Innovations
In today's era of globalization and cultural diversity, the concept of "beauty is life" promotes cross-cultural dialogue, artistic creation needs to penetrate into different cultural lives and reflect diverse life experiences, and artistic innovation is faced with the challenge of how to maintain vitality and local roots in the global context. At the same time, with the rise of digital art, how to maintain the authenticity of life sensual experience between virtual and real has become a new topic.
3. Ethics and Social Responsibility
In the context of the prevalence of consumerism, art is facing moral adherence and commercial pressure, "beauty is life" calls for art to return to the essence of life, artistic creation needs to have a sense of moral responsibility, criticize social badness, promote moral awakening, art social responsibility and moral criticism are particularly important in modern art creation, is the touchstone of artistic vitality and value.
VI. Conclusion
In contemporary aesthetics, Chernyshevsky's concept of "beauty is life" suggests that aesthetics should not be limited to abstract discussions of form or theory, but should go deep into life and pay attention to the reflection and shaping of individual life experience by art. This suggests that the study of aesthetic theory should return to real life, pay attention to practice and individual experience, and the ethical responsibility of art, so as to inject vitality and humanistic care into aesthetic theory.
At the level of artistic practice, the concept of "beauty is life" encourages creators to go deeper into life, and the works reflect individual life experience, emotional resonance and social reality, and the art evaluation criteria also need to take into account the perceptual experience of art, the truth of life, the depth of morality and social value. The creation and evaluation of art should start from the perspective of life, examine the social function and individual spiritual value of art, and promote the moral and social influence of art.
Author: Lu Xilin
Bibliography:
Marxism and Aesthetics
Art and Social Production
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