Study of the basic concepts in old and new aesthetics

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23520131
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aesthetics/Art history
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo (2013-2014); Nihon University (2011-2012)
• Principal Investigator: SASAKI Ken-ichi 東京大学, 人文社会系研究科, 名誉教授 (80011328)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 美学 / 創造性 / 近代 / 自動詞性 / ロマン主義 / ２０世紀 / 科学・技術 / 身体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Aesthetics is radically changing and a revision of its basic concepts is indispensable. This time, I focused on the problem of creativity.
In the traditional thought of Japan, which is based on the intransitive notion of change, we find no place of creativity. Continuing some traditional trends, the concept of creativity constituted the very core of the modern thought of the West. Its main arrival point was the romanticism, which regarded creativity as the basic value of human act, and insisting on genius and inspiration, attributed it almost exclusively to art. Passing to the 20th Century, with new style of art and the importance of science and technology, an intellectual notion of creation became dominant.
As to its structure, however, creativity cannot be exempted from the physical moment. Creative act consists of production and judgment, and the former (including intellectual one) is physical, the latter mental. Intimate collaboration of body and mind constitutes creative act.

Free Research Field

美学藝術学