From Perceptual Conditions to Actualization: The Dual Advancement of Aesthetic Construction in the 18th Century

　　For the disciplinarization of aesthetics, the intellectual exploration of the 18th century was of special importance. Researchers usually pay attention to the theoretical explorations of different thinkers during this period and give thematic explorations. However, from the perspective of discipline construction, the deep construction of the ideological context has its own importance.

　　The excellent project of the National Social Science Foundation of China, "Research on the Intersection of Three Ideas in Western Thought in the 18th Century and the Logical Construction of Aesthetics" (21BZX025), pointed out that the ideological exploration of the 18th century is certainly embodied in the concentrated explanation of the theory of "taste", but through the surface of various theories, what is presented is actually the internal perceptual conditions and the external realistic path required for the construction of the discipline, and it is these two layers of advancement that complete the discipline construction of aesthetics in the 18th century.

　　For the aesthetic construction of the 18th century, the theoretical explorations of different aesthetes undoubtedly constitute the most important ideological vein. However, although it is possible to reveal the style of aesthetic thought in this period, it is difficult to highlight the deep connection between different theoretical explorations, which contributed to the construction of aesthetic disciplines in this period. Based on this thesis, "The Convergence of Three Lines of Thought in Western Thought in the 18th Century and the Study of the Logical Construction of Aesthetics" takes the exploration of aesthetics in the 18th century as the core purpose, and analyzes the ideological path existing in it from two aspects: subject ability and reality presentation.

　　The promotion and integration of the three layers of perceptual conditions

　　In the world of 18th-century thought, interesting questions received focused attention from different perspectives, which stemmed from their own unique connotation—the emotional ability to point to the subject. Looking back at the ideological exploration of this period, for the construction of aesthetics, "emotion" is not simply the psychological state of the subject, but also presents a unique spiritual character. If the former makes emotion appear as a purely empirical state, the latter makes this perceptual ability present three different perceptual conditions, which promotes the discipline construction of aesthetics.

　　The origins of modern aesthetics are generally associated with Scheufzbury's notion of "disinterestedness". It is through the exclusion of external utilitarianism that aesthetics opens up the search for its own legitimate identity. However, from the perspective of disciplinary construction, the concept of "disinterestedness" not only excludes external utilitarianism, but also leads the search for interest to the subject's "affection", which really constitutes the contribution of empiricist aesthetics. Starting from the state of mind of "feelings", the exploration of the 18th century shows the following two levels of ideological advancement: with the process of subjectivity of modern thought, the state of feelings gets rid of the association with external objects and presents a purely subjective state of mind, and thus, feelings point to the universal condition of "common sense" due to their own universal appeal; By sorting out the interweaving of the concept of commonality in the two layers of cognitive and moral thinking, it is clarified how the two separate paths of its universality can be obtained through the independence of aesthetics itself. Through the advancement of the above two levels, the state of "feeling" reveals its "formal" condition for aesthetic construction.

　　If empiricist aesthetics associates "taste" with the subject and highlights the "emotional" state in the mind, then when the system construction of "art of beauty" cuts into the problem of taste, France thinkers represented by Charles · Bato recognize taste as the "law" of artistic creation, thus opening another line of thought to focus on the theory of taste. Of course, the interest in this path is also related to the subject's perceptual character, but in the sense of presenting the law of emotion, the connotation of interest actually points to the "affect" (affect) that is different from the state of "feeling". Starting from the path of "emotion", the exploration in the 18th century presents the following expansion of ideas: in the overall context of the subject's turn, the concept of emotion subjectivizes itself into "will", and makes the "interest" factor excluded in the analysis of the "emotional" state become the inevitable condition of the theory of "emotion"; Through the progressive elucidation of the different connotations of the concept of "interest", this concept presents an inevitable relationship in the transition from "moral interest" to "intellectual interest". Through the advancement of two different levels, the concept of emotion presents its "formless" condition for aesthetic construction.

　　Looking back at the development of aesthetic thought in the 18th century, German thought, which focuses on the interpretation of "poetics", shows a special theoretical purpose, not only because its exploration path shows a certain degree of deviation from the topic of "interest" that occupies the central position in this period, but also because of the "poetic" orientation that has always been implicit in the theoretical exploration of poetics. In Vico's New Science, this poetic sense is first presented in the form of "poetic wisdom" and advanced to Baumgarten, and the poetic inquiry subjectivizes itself into "perceptual cognition", thus revealing the underlying poetic meaning. Sthetilk, that is, the appeal of "perceptual logic". When Kant associates this perceptual logic with "judgment" in the Critique of Judgment and becomes an "aesthetic judgment", perceptual logic not only acquires its own innate nature and universality, but also makes this basis present in an aesthetic way through subjectivity, highlighting the third perceptual condition of its different feelings and emotions.

　　However, for the construction of 18th-century aesthetics, combing the three layers of perceptual conditions is not only to present three parallel lines of exploration, but also to advance the three different spiritual qualities. The perceptual conditions presented in the sthetilk way essentially constitute the logical basis of the affective faculties. Therefore, when Kant also raises the question of "how is it possible to make a priori comprehensive judgment" in the field of aesthetics, it actually means that the feelings associated with the "formal" mode and the emotions associated with the "formless" mode are introduced through the way of logical positioning. The sthetilk method presents an innate synthesis judgment, and with this synthesis it reveals the transcendental possibility of aesthetics in the disciplinary sense.

　　The interweaving and mutual construction of the three paths of reality

　　Reflecting on the disciplinary appeal of aesthetics in the 18th century, it is clarified that the three-layer perceptual condition is only in terms of its transcendental interpretation from the perspective of subjective ability, and once it shifts from a priori interpretation to the construction of disciplinary independence, it means that aesthetics still needs to clarify its realistic path. If the transcendental elucidation of aesthetics is presented as three different perceptual conditions through the analysis of the subject's own perceptual ability, then through the interpretation of the realistic conditions, the discipline construction of aesthetics is also presented as three different paths of actualization.

　　Looking back at the development of thought in this period, one mode of existence closely related to aesthetic construction is art, and explorers of aesthetic theory often obtain the realistic entry point of aesthetic existence through the analysis of works of art. However, this does not mean that art can become the path of aesthetic actualization in an unqualified way. As far as art is also called "skill" in ancient thought, art under this rational norm cannot meet the realistic conditions of aesthetics. In this sense, Charles ·'s attention to "the art of beauty" since his time constitutes a key transformation, and it is precisely by virtue of the relationship between beauty and art that traditional art in the form of "craftsmanship" acquires its own independent identity through the modern way of "aesthetics". From an aesthetic point of view, this process also presents an important significance, and it is through the combination of beauty and art that the presentation of art's independence and self-sufficiency precisely highlights the realistic path of aesthetics. (Produced by the "Thought Workshop" of the social science newspaper, the full text can be found in the social science newspaper and its official website)