Abstract
Ji Kang's ( 223-263) On the Absence of Sentiments in Music has three types of aesthetic concepts. First, listeners of sorrowful music release his emotions through listening. Second, peaceful listeners obtain aesthetic pleasure through appreciating the beauty of musical form. Thirdly, peaceful listeners focus specifically on moderate music, in order to acquire peace and preserve his health. Going beyond utilitarian emotions, Ji Kang laid more emphasis on the second type of aesthetic concept, which was close to Kant's definition of disinterestedness. Yet, he regulated desire due to vigilance, rather than stressing "aesthetic freedom" like modern aesthetics. Therefore, Ji Kang's three concepts embodied his unique thinking on aesthetics, and his perception of the structure of musical appreciation and value orientation of musical aesthetics were different from the West. It is problematic to judge Ji Kang's aesthetics by the standards of Western concepts such as formal beauty and aesthetic freedom. When constructing Chinese aesthetics by reference to the West, it is necessary to be aware of the differences in cultural contexts and to absorb the common wisdom as much as possible.
Keywords
Ji Kang, On the Absence of Sentiments in Music, musical aesthetics, Chinese aesthetics
First Page
137
Last Page
145
Recommended Citation
Lin, Kai. 2021. "The Aesthetic Concept of On the Absence of Sentiments in Music and a Reflection on the Construction of Chinese Aesthetics." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 41, (2): pp.137-145. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol41/iss2/14
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