Summary:
This paper analyzes Chernyshevsky's core aesthetic concept of "beauty is life", and comprehensively analyzes the connotation and influence of Chernyshevsky's aesthetic thought from multiple dimensions, such as the philosophical foundation, the realistic representation and educational criticism function of art, and the paradigm transformation of realist aesthetics. The article reveals how Chernyshevsky transcended the metaphysical tendency of traditional aesthetics, emphasizing the close connection between art and life, as well as the moral education and social criticism functions of art, and then promoted the rise of realist aesthetics.
I. Introduction
In the history of aesthetics, traditional aesthetic concepts tend to be metaphysical abstractions, regarding beauty as a transcendental, unchanging absolute idea, such as Plato's "Theory of Ideas", which places beauty in an eternal form that transcends the real world. This tendency leads to the fact that aesthetic research is often detached from practical life, ignoring the close relationship between the generation of beauty and the practical activities of human society.
In the 19th century, with the progress of natural science and the drastic changes in social reality, people began to seek a more solid foundation for their understanding of beauty, trying to find the origin of beauty in real life. It is in this context that Chernyshevsky's definition of "beauty is life" came into being, which marks the transformation of aesthetic concepts from abstract to concrete, from heaven to earth, giving beauty a fresh vitality and a foundation in reality.
Chernyshevsky's definition not only breaks the metaphysical shackles in the field of aesthetics for a long time, but also places the discussion of beauty on the broad stage of social practice and human experience, emphasizing the intrinsic connection between the perceptibility of beauty in reality and life practice. This is not only an innovation of the traditional aesthetic concept, but also a profound expansion of the field of aesthetic research, which provides new theoretical support for artistic creation and aesthetic experience, making it closer to the reality of the people's life, and has a distinct democratic and humanitarian color.
II. The philosophical basis of the definition of "beauty is life".
A. The transcendence of metaphysical beauty and the return of practical beauty
Traditional aesthetics, deeply influenced by the idealism since Plato, often regards beauty as a pure idea independent of the material world, and pursues a transcendent, universal and eternal beauty. This metaphysical conception of aesthetics, although theoretically constructing a sublime temple of beauty, is also questioned because of its abstraction far from real life.
Chernyshevsky's "Beauty is Life" is a profound philosophical turn, in which he abandons the transcendent pursuit of beauty by traditional aesthetics, and instead emphasizes that beauty is rooted in real life, believing that beauty is not an abstract concept that exists in isolation, but a true reflection and idealized expression of human life. This turn is in essence a fundamental reshaping of the field of aesthetic research, which pulls the focus of aesthetics from the ethereal metaphysical realm back to the rich and colorful human social life, thus giving aesthetics new vitality and practical significance.
B. Aesthetics from a materialist perspective
Chernyshevsky's aesthetic outlook is deeply rooted in materialist philosophy. He believes that material life is the basis of all human spiritual activities, so aesthetics must also be based on an objective analysis of real life. Within the framework of materialism, Chernyshevsky constructed the realistic basis of beauty, emphasizing that the emergence and development of beauty are inseparable from social practice and the transformation of nature by human beings.
He pointed out that art, as an important carrier of beauty, should reflect and enhance real life and serve the interests and happiness of the people. This materialist aesthetic view not only reveals the social attributes of beauty, but also highlights the social function of art, that is, art should promote the all-round development of human beings and social progress. Through this perspective, Chernyshevsky's aesthetic ideas provided a solid theoretical support for the later realist art movement.
C. A multidimensional interpretation of life
In Chernyshevsky's aesthetic system, "life" is a rich and multi-layered concept, which not only refers to the satisfaction of material life, but also covers multiple dimensions such as natural, social and spiritual life. Natural life refers to the relationship between human beings and the natural world, and Chernyshevsky believes that the beauty of nature is a part of the beauty of life, and when people appreciate nature, they are actually feeling a form of expression of life.
Social life emphasizes the relationship between people and the influence of the social environment on the aesthetic taste of individuals. Chernyshevsky believed that art should truly reflect social reality, criticize social injustice, and promote social justice, which is an important condition for the realization of beauty. Spiritual life involves people's inner world, emotional experience and ideal pursuit, and Chernyshevsky believes that art can enhance people's spiritual realm and enable people to obtain spiritual purification and sublimation in aesthetic activities.
To sum up, "life" is a comprehensive and integrated concept in Chernyshevsky's aesthetics, which embodies the harmonious unity of man and nature, society and self-spirit. This multi-dimensional interpretation not only enriches the connotation of the definition of "beauty is life", but also provides multiple perspectives for understanding the complex interaction between art and real life, and further consolidates the realist foundation of Chernyshevsky's aesthetic thought.
III. "Reproducing real life": the first purpose of art
A. The Quest for Authenticity
Chernyshevsky's belief that the primary task of art is to faithfully reproduce real life is a rebellion against the detachment and over-idealization of traditional art. He emphasized that artistic creation should be based on real social life, and directly depict people's daily life, labor, struggle, joy and sorrow, rather than imaginary utopian fantasies.
Chernyshevsky's view had a profound impact on artistic creation, prompting artists to step out of the ivory tower and go deep into the people, taking ordinary people as the object, paying attention to their living conditions and inner world, so as to create more contemporary and down-to-earth works of art. This pursuit of authenticity not only enriches the content of artistic expression, but also broadens the audience of art, making art closer to the general public, becoming a mirror image of their lives and emotional resonance.
B. The rise of realist art
Chernyshevsky's aesthetic ideas played a catalytic role in the rise of the realist art school. In Europe in the 19th century, with the advancement of the industrial revolution, the social structure and class contradictions intensified, and people's deep reflection on reality and the urgent need to expose social problems were urgent, and realist art came into being.
Chernyshevsky's theory of "beauty is life" provides a philosophical basis for realist art, emphasizing that art should reflect reality, expose social contradictions, and criticize injustice, which coincides with the purpose of realist art. Realist art became an important symbol of European culture in the 19th century by delicately depicting the details of life, criticizing social phenomena, and shaping typical characters, which not only triggered a revolution in the field of art, but also influenced other cultural forms such as literature and drama, and promoted the formation of social criticism.
C. The interaction between life experience and artistic creation
In Chernyshevsky's aesthetic thought, the artist's personal life experience and artistic creation are closely linked. He advocates that artists should draw inspiration from their personal experiences, translate their personal feelings into artistic language, and convey them to the audience through artworks. This interaction requires not only a keen sense of observation and the ability to capture the subtle details of life, but also a deep sense of social responsibility to translate personal experience into universal expression.
Through the direct or indirect reflection of life experience, the artist makes the works full of life, and the audience sees their own shadow in the art, realizing emotional resonance and exchange of ideas. Chernyshevsky's concept essentially emphasizes the importance of the interaction between the artist's creation and life as a member of society, and that art is the mirror image of life, the promotion of life, and the spiritual home shared by the artist and the audience.
IV. "Illustrating Life": The Educational and Critical Functions of Art
A. The moral responsibility of the arts
Chernyshevsky insisted that art is not only a mirror image of life, but also should take on the important task of revealing the truth of life, moral education and spiritual upliftment. He believes that a work of art should reflect reality like a mirror, and at the same time need to transcend reality and lead the audience to a higher moral realm.
The moral responsibility of art lies in stimulating people's ability to distinguish between good and evil, beauty and ugliness by showing the true face of life, and then promoting the moral level of individuals and the whole society. Chernyshevsky emphasized that artists should be the conscience of society, and their creations should be full of moral force, prompting people to reflect on themselves and pursue a nobler goal in life, so as to play the educational function of art imperceptibly.
B. Social Criticism and Change
In Chernyshevsky's vision, art is a sharp weapon of society, not only a reflection of reality, but also a powerful critique of social injustice. Through art, artists can expose the dark side of society, critique exploitation, oppression and inequality, awaken public awareness, and inspire a drive for change. As a mirror of society, art's unique aesthetic form can penetrate into the hearts of the people, which is more effective than mere preaching.
For example, 19th-century realist novels and paintings, through their depictions of the miserable lives of workers and peasants, not only showed the suffering of the lower strata of society, but also inspired people's yearning for a more just and humane society, and pushed society forward. Chernyshevsky believed that this critical function of art is an indispensable force for social progress.
C. The tension between ideals and reality
Chernyshevsky's aesthetic thought blended the complexity of idealism and realism, and he demanded that art should faithfully reproduce life, but also emphasized that art should point to a better future. This tension is reflected in the fact that when art exposes the cruelty and injustice of reality, it should not only stop at negative criticism, but should contain an upward driving force, pointing to an idealized state of existence.
Chernyshevsky believed that true art should reveal the flaws of reality, while showing the potential good qualities and possible perfect forms of human beings, and inspire people to work towards the realization of such ideals. This kind of longing for the ideal future is not only a transcendence of the insufficiency of reality, but also a deep understanding and affirmation of reality, which embodies the profound dialectical thought in Chernyshevsky's aesthetics. In this tension between ideals and reality, art not only records history, but also predicts the future, becoming a bridge connecting the past, present and future, and constantly promoting the progress of human civilization.
V. A paradigm shift in realist aesthetics as defined by "beauty is life".
A. Secularization of aesthetic experience
Chernyshevsky's theory of "beauty is life" subverted the aristocratic tendency of aesthetic experience in traditional aesthetic concepts, and made it secularized and popularized. In his view, beauty is not the prerogative of a few, but is deeply rooted in everyday life, in the toil, joy and pain of ordinary people. Chernyshevsky emphasized that art should depict and celebrate the lives of ordinary people and give them lofty aesthetic values.
This transformation has made aesthetic experience no longer confined to art museums, theaters or aristocratic salons, but has penetrated widely into popular culture, making the life experience of ordinary people an important source of aesthetics. This democratization of aesthetic experience has greatly expanded the scope of artistic expression, made works of art closer to the people, and promoted the diversification of artistic creation and the prosperity of social culture.
B. Practical orientation of aesthetic theory
Chernyshevsky's aesthetic thought has a clear practical orientation, he advocated that art should be practical and functional, and emphasized that artistic creation should serve social progress and all-round human development. In his philosophy, art is not only a display of beauty, but also an effective tool to transform society and enhance public morality.
Chernyshevsky encouraged artists to go deep into life, draw inspiration from actual social contradictions and people's needs, and create works that are both artistic and socially influential. This practice-oriented aesthetic theory promoted the close integration of art and social life, enhanced the sense of social responsibility of art, and laid a solid theoretical foundation for the later realist art movement.
C. Impact on future generations
Chernyshevsky's definition of "beauty is life" has had a profound impact on the subsequent development of aesthetic theory, especially in the realism and socialist realism movements. In the West, his ideas inspired the development of realist literature and art, and writers such as Tolstoy and Balzac deeply depicted the lives of all social strata and criticized social injustice through their works, showing the profound connotation of "beauty is life".
In the Soviet Union, Chernyshevsky's ideas were further developed into the official artistic guiding principle of socialist realism, emphasizing that art should reflect the revolutionary struggle of the masses and socialist construction, and become an important means of educating the masses and promoting social progress. Although socialist realism was sometimes rigidly implemented in practice, Chernyshevsky's original idea that art should focus on reality and serve the people was always its core value. In addition, his emphasis on the secularization of aesthetic experience and the functionality of art also provided resources for reflection and dialogue on artistic trends such as modernism and postmodernism in the 20th century, which influenced the development trajectory of art and culture on a global scale.
VI. Conclusion
Chernyshevsky's definition of "beauty is life" is not only a profound revolution in traditional aesthetics, but also the foundation work of realist aesthetics. It pulls the concept of beauty from the abstract concept back to the concrete life practice, emphasizes the organic connection between art and real life, and advocates that art should truly reflect and improve the quality of life of people.
This core value not only redefines the boundaries of aesthetics, but also shifts the focus of artistic creation from the aristocratic elite to the general public, greatly enriching the expressiveness and depth of art. Chernyshevsky's aesthetic thought, by emphasizing the realist turn of art, had an immeasurable impact on the art theory and practice of later generations, and laid a theoretical cornerstone for the development of realism and even socialist realist art.
Author: Lu Xilin
Bibliography:
The Aesthetic Relationship between Art and Reality
《Principles of Aesthetics》
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