Wisdom and Knowledge: The Outline of Eastern and Western Aesthetic Spirits∗

Abstract

Wisdom and knowledge are the basic spirits of Eastern and Western aesthetics. The shortcoming of the aesthetics based on knowledge, i.e., the aesthetics of knowledge, lies in the fact that it clings to the opposing differences between Western- and Eastern-centered theories. These differences include essentialism and anti-essentialism; harmonious and non-harmonious relationships between person, self, nature and society; art or nature as the highest aesthetic realm; metaphysics or psychology as the aesthetic domain; dualism and Advaita; and so on. The aesthetics based on wisdom, namely aesthetics of wisdom, is valuable due to its adopting an impartial attitude toward Eastern and Western aesthetics, essentialism and anti-essentialism, philosophical horizon and psychological horizon, theory of harmony and theory of antagonism, beauty of art and beauty of nature, dualism and Advaita, up to aesthetics of knowledge and aesthetics of wisdom. Contrasted with this understanding of the aesthetics of knowledge, non-dualism and non-Advaita are the soul of the spirit of the aesthetics of wisdom.

Key words： Eastern aesthetics; Western aesthetics; aesthetics of wisdom; aesthetics of knowledge; academic spirit