François Jullien argues that the Western concept of beauty, shaped by Greek philosophy and embedded in European languages, has been uncritically adopted by cultures with different aesthetic traditions. He contends that this Western model, which often isolates and abstracts beauty, obscures the traditional Chinese refusal to do so. By examining the translation of Chinese texts, Jullien reveals how these distinct aesthetic foundations are misrepresented to align with Western understanding.
Jullien challenges prevailing assumptions in Western aesthetics by fostering a dialogue between Eastern and Western philosophical ideas of beauty. The book offers a new perspective on how to perceive art by highlighting the culturally specific nature of aesthetic judgments and the often-unrecognized assumptions within them, particularly how globalization has disseminated Western ideals without regard for their origin.
Key concepts
- Western concept of beauty — A definition of beauty established by Greek philosophy and embedded within European languages.
- Chinese refusal to isolate or abstract beauty — The traditional Chinese aesthetic principle of not separating beauty as an independent element.
- Obscured translation — The process by which the distinctiveness of Chinese aesthetic ideas is lost when rendered into Western languages for easier comprehension.
- Radically different aesthetic foundations — The existence of distinct and contrasting aesthetic traditions in cultures outside of the Western philosophical lineage.