Summary:
This paper explores the new interpretation of Chernyshevsky's art theory in the contemporary socio-cultural context, especially in the context of the awakening of "self-consciousness". This paper first reviews Chernyshevsky's theory that art and life are inseparable, and his contribution to the realist view of art, and then analyzes the rise of artistic pluralism under globalization and philosophical change, especially Arthur Danto's extreme pluralism on the boundaries of art. On this basis, the article integrates the perspectives of Marxism and existentialism, and discusses how the artist's "self-consciousness" can become the source of artistic innovation and promote art to transcend life.
I. Introduction
Chernyshevsky's artistic ideas were conceived against the backdrop of the drastic changes in Russian society in the middle of the 19th century. At that time, Russia was going through a complex process of transition from serfdom to capitalism, social contradictions were intensifying, and the intellectuals were thinking about the fate of the country, the emancipation of human nature, and social progress as never before.
In such an era of ideological enlightenment and revolutionary thought, Chernyshevsky's artistic outlook was deeply influenced by Feuerbach's humanism, and at the same time, he put forward unique insights on the basis of criticizing and inheriting the aesthetics of Hegel and Kant. Chernyshevsky emphasized that art should reflect real life and expose social contradictions, embodying a strong sense of social responsibility and the spirit of realism. This proposition has been systematically expounded in works such as "The Aesthetic Relationship between Art and Reality", which not only had a wide influence in the field of Russian literature and art, but also has a profound enlightenment for the later realist movement, socialist realism, and even the development of Western aesthetic theory as a whole.
II. The core idea of Chernyshevsky's artistic outlook
A. The relationship between "beauty and life".
In his aesthetic theory, Chernyshevsky closely linked "beauty" and "life", believed that the essence of art lies in its reflection of real life, and put forward the famous thesis that "beauty is life". He emphasized that art is not an abstract concept isolated from real life, but should be a real reflection of life, and the source and inspiration of art come from the rich and colorful real life.
Chernyshevsky further pointed out that "art comes from life and is higher than life", and the "above" here does not refer to the detachment of art from reality, but refers to the artist's refinement and processing of life materials through creation, giving them deeper meaning and value, making them a universal and typical artistic expression, so as to achieve the purpose of educating and enlightening the public. This thesis emphasizes the realistic foundation and promotion role of art, and lays a theoretical foundation for the prosperity of realist art.
B. The Formulation of Critical Realism
In Chernyshevsky's art criticism, critical realism is a challenge to traditional aesthetic theories, especially the philosophies of Kant and Hegel. Kant emphasized the subjectivity of aesthetics and believed that beauty is the harmonious unity of form and perceptual subject, while Hegel regarded art as the perceptual manifestation of the absolute idea, emphasizing the historical development of art and the internal logic of ideas.
Chernyshevsky, on the other hand, started from humanism and shifted the focus of art to real life, believing that art should directly face social problems, reveal social contradictions, and criticize injustice. His art criticism practice, such as the evaluation of Gogol's Dead Souls, not only focuses on the artistry of the work, but also attaches more importance to its social criticism, reflecting his concern for the nature of society and the overall law. This transformation not only challenged Kant's transcendental aesthetics and Hegel's final conclusion of art, but also provided a theoretical basis for the rise of critical realist art, encouraging artists to become critics and reformers of society.
C. Feuerbach's influence:
Chernyshevsky's theory of art was heavily influenced by Feuerbach's philosophy of humanism. Feuerbach opposed Hegel's idealism, emphasized the natural attributes of human beings and the value of real life, and believed that the essence of religion is the alienation of human nature, and should return to the real life and natural nature of human beings. Chernyshevsky absorbed Feuerbach's human-centered philosophy and shifted the focus of art from abstract ideas to living real life.
In his view, the true value of art lies in its ability to reflect and enhance people's lives, express people's feelings and aspirations, and promote people's all-round development. Feuerbach's humanistic philosophy became the cornerstone of Chernyshevsky's art theory, prompting him to regard art as a practical activity that is directly related to people's real life and serves people's spiritual needs and social progress, thus establishing an inseparable close connection between art, people and society.
III. Artistic pluralism in the context of globalization and philosophical change
The rise of pluralism
The process of globalization is like an irresistible trend, which closely connects culture, information, capital and people around the world, and promotes the diversified development of art forms. In this process, art is no longer limited to traditional regions or monocultural models, but transcends national borders, integrates multicultural elements, and forms an artistic ecology with a hundred flowers.
The concept of "extreme pluralism" proposed by Arthur Danto is a theoretical summary of this phenomenon. He believes that in the postmodern context, art has lost its unified standard and center, and anything can become a work of art, as long as they can be reasonably explained and discussed within the framework of art theory. This theory breaks the boundaries of traditional art classification, prompts people to rethink the nature and boundaries of art, and makes art practice more open and diverse.
B. Blurring and breaking the boundaries of aesthetics
With globalization and technological revolution, the boundaries between art and aesthetics are becoming increasingly blurred. Traditional aesthetic standards are being challenged, and new aesthetic experiences and expressions are emerging. The rise of new art forms such as digital art, installation art, and performance art has broken the boundaries between art and life, increasing audience engagement and making the art experience more interactive and immersive. In addition, cross-border cooperation has become the norm, and the cooperation between artists and experts in various fields such as scientists, technicians, and sociologists has brought unprecedented possibilities for artistic creation. The boundaries of aesthetics are constantly being broadened in this exploration, and the definition of art is constantly being reshaped.
C. The "self-conscious" awakening of contemporary art
In such a pluralistic art environment, "self-awareness" has become a key driving force for artistic innovation. The individual creativity and critical thinking of artists are emphasized as never before, and they no longer simply imitate or reflect reality, but express their personal concepts, emotions, criticisms, and deep insights into society through their works. This self-consciousness is embodied in the individualized exploration of artistic language, the rebellion against traditional art rules, and the deep involvement in social issues.
As an independent thinker, the artist's work becomes a medium for self-expression and cultural dialogue, which not only reflects the artist's inner world, but also prompts the audience to reflect on their own existence and value judgment. In the context of globalization, this awakening of self-consciousness promotes the depth and breadth of art, making art a bridge for global cultural exchange and understanding, and an important platform for individual identity and cultural diversity.
IV. "Self-Consciousness" from the Perspective of Marxism and Existentialism
A. The Material Basis of Marxism and the Raising of Consciousness
One of the core viewpoints of Marxist philosophy is that social existence determines social consciousness, that is, the material mode of production is the basis of social life (including spiritual life), which determines people's way of thinking and values. In artistic creation, this theory implies that the artist's "self-consciousness" does not arise in a vacuum, but is deeply rooted in the socio-historical conditions and economic foundations in which it operates.
The artist's personal experience, emotions, thoughts, and even the choice of subject matter are inevitably influenced by the social environment. Therefore, the formation of "self-consciousness" from the perspective of Marxism is actually the result of the interaction between social material conditions and individual spiritual activities. This understanding helps us to realize that "self-consciousness" in artistic creation is not a purely subjective expression, but is closely related to social reality, and is a subjective reflection and critical thinking of the objective world.
B. Existential subjectivity and free choice
Existentialism, especially Sartre's theory, emphasizes individual subjectivity, freedom, and responsibility, believing that man is a free being who must define himself through his own choices. In artistic creation, existentialism provides philosophical support for "self-consciousness", encouraging artists to actively explore and express themselves through creation, and even resist the alienation of the external world through creation. Sartre's view of "existence before essence" enlightens the artist that a work of art is not a passive reflection of reality, but a creation of reality, the embodiment of the artist's free will, and through artistic practice, the artist is able to achieve self-transcendence. The existentialist perspective highlights the initiative and creativity of artists in creation, and emphasizes the decisive role of the individual in artistic innovation.
C. The interaction of "self-awareness" with artistic innovation
Combining the perspectives of Marxism and existentialism, "self-consciousness" plays a dual role in artistic innovation. On the one hand, it is profoundly influenced by social existence, and the artist's "self-consciousness" is formed under specific social and historical conditions, which provides rich content and depth for artistic creation, prompting artists to pay attention to social reality and reflect and criticize social contradictions through artworks. On the other hand, the individual freedom and choice emphasized by existentialism provides artists with unlimited space for innovation, encouraging them to transcend established frameworks, have the courage to express their individuality, and pursue artistic uniqueness and novelty.
This interaction not only drives artistic innovation, but also promotes the transcendence of art in life. Art is no longer a simple imitation of life, but through the deep excavation of "self-awareness", it is transformed into an exploration of the essence of life, a reflection on the human condition, and a conception of an ideal society. Art thus becomes a force for change, not only reflecting reality, but also guiding people to think about how to transcend reality and achieve spiritual uplift and social progress. In this process, "self-consciousness", as the core driving force of artistic innovation, embodies the active role of the individual in the social and historical process, and demonstrates the eternal value of art as the human spirit's pursuit of freedom, truth and beauty.
V. Chernyshevsky's new perspective on art and the mutual interpretation of "self-consciousness".
A. The new place of "self-consciousness" in Chernyshevsky's theory
A re-examination of Chernyshevsky's art theory reveals that "self-consciousness" is not directly indicated, but is implicit in the assertion that art comes from life and is higher than life. Chernyshevsky's emphasis on artists should be based on a deep understanding and critique of reality to create works that transcend individual experience, which actually contains a high demand for the artist's self-consciousness.
From a contemporary perspective, we can regard "self-consciousness" as an undertapped potential in Chernyshevsky's theory, which is the artist's deep insight into social reality, the affirmation of self-worth, and the pursuit of artistic transcendence. The reorientation of "self-consciousness" not only enriches the connotation of Chernyshevsky's art theory, but also provides a theoretical fulcrum for the modern interpretation of individual creativity.
B. Dialogue across generations
Although Chernyshevsky and postmodern philosophers such as Derrida and Foucault are in different historical contexts, there is room for dialogue around the discussion of the relationship between art and life, and between the individual and society. Chernyshevsky's emphasis on the social function of art and the realist stance seem to be in opposition to the postmodernists' focus on the deconstruction of power structures and the construction of individual discourse, but in fact they are complementary.
Chernyshevsky's art comes from life, emphasizing the social criticism of art, and together with the fragmented understanding of reality and questioning social relations in the postmodern era, it points to the self-positioning and expression of the individual in society. Through comparative analysis, we find that both focus on the subjectivity of the individual in a complex social structure, but Chernyshevsky is more inclined to seek collective awakening through artistic practice, while postmodern philosophers focus on the deconstruction and reconstruction of the individual.
C. Theoretical integration and innovation
In the contemporary context, the awakening of Chernyshevsky's artistic outlook and "self-consciousness" requires us to first realize that artistic creation is not only a mirror image of social reality, but also a stage for individual self-expression. On this basis, the deepening and development of the theory should focus on the following points:
The Balance between the Individual and the Collective: Drawing on Chernyshevsky's sense of social responsibility and combining the postmodern emphasis on individual freedom, this paper explores how art can respect and promote the awakening and expression of individual self-consciousness while reflecting social reality.
Diversified Practices of Art: In the context of globalization and digitalization, art forms and means of expression are becoming more and more diverse, combining Chernyshevsky's realism and postmodern deconstruction perspectives to promote artistic innovation and encourage art to explore new aesthetic experiences and social criticism while reflecting life.
Interaction of theories: Establish an interdisciplinary dialogue mechanism to integrate Chernyshevsky's theory with contemporary philosophy, sociology, cultural studies and other disciplines, provide cross-field theoretical support for the deepening of aesthetic theory, and form a more inclusive and forward-looking theoretical system.
To sum up, by repositioning "self-consciousness" in the contemporary context, carrying out cross-era theoretical dialogues, and promoting the innovative integration of theory and practice, Chernyshevsky's artistic outlook has not only been revitalized, but also provided valuable inspiration and impetus for the future development of aesthetic theory.
VI. Conclusion
Through a contemporary reinterpretation of Chernyshevsky's view of art, this paper reveals the profound value of the interaction between Chernyshevsky's theory and "self-consciousness". Chernyshevsky's idea of "beauty is life" has been given a new life in the context of modern society, emphasizing the close connection between artistic creation and real life, while the emphasis on "self-awareness" has further enhanced the artist's role as a social observer and critic. Through the lens of Marxism and existentialism, we see the key role of "self-consciousness" in artistic innovation and transcendence of life, as well as its potential place in Chernyshevsky's theory. This reinterpretation not only deepens the understanding of Chernyshevsky's view of art, but also provides a new perspective for the expansion of aesthetic theory.
Author: Lu Xilin
Bibliography:
Humanism and the Challenge of Modernity: Chernyshevsky's Philosophy
Christian Culture and Russian Thought: The Religious Dimension of Chernyshevsky
Disclaimer: All articles (including graphics, papers, audio and video, etc.) under my account can be reprinted or quoted at will after 72 hours from the date of publication, without informing me. If you need to request a manuscript, please contact [email protected]