Synthesized answer
François Jullien argues that the Western concept of beauty is rooted in Greek philosophy and has become embedded within European languages [1]. This linguistic embedding has shaped Western ways of thinking about beauty, often in ways that go unnoticed [1].
Furthermore, Jullien notes that Western ideals of beauty have spread globally through globalization, impacting cultures with fundamentally different aesthetic traditions [1]. These cultures have adopted Western views without questioning the embedded cultural assumptions [1]. The book specifically examines how the traditional Chinese refusal to isolate or abstract beauty is obscured in translations into Western languages, making Chinese aesthetics more understandable to Western readers [2]. Through this dialogue between Eastern and Western ideas, Jullien re-examines the essence of beauty [2].
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
Title: This Strange Idea of the Beautiful by François Jullien Description: An exploration of what it means when we say something is beautiful. Bringing together ideas of beauty from both Eastern and Western philosophy, François Jullien challenges the assumptions underlying our commonly agreed-upon definition of what is beautiful and offers a new way of beholding art. Jullien argues that the Western concept of beauty was established by Greek philosophy and became consequently embedded within the very structure of European languages. And due to its relationship to language, this concept has…
rn languages, Jullien reveals how the traditional Chinese refusal to isolate or abstract beauty is obscured in translation in order to make the works more understandable to Western readers. Creating an engaging dialogue between Chinese and Western ideas, Jullien reassesses the essence of beauty. Categories: Art Pages: 256 Snippet: "Francois Jullien argues that the Western concept of beauty, established by the Greeks and embedded within the structure of European languages, have spread to cultures whose ancient traditions are based on radically different aesthetic ...