The Pragmatic Path of the Somatic Turn in the Western Aesthetics

Abstract

Abstract: Since the early 20th century, a somatic turn has presented itself as increasingly influential in the Western aesthetics. As the science of sensory recognition, it initiates a return to the body-subject and life-world. In this process, the contribution of pragmatism is prominent. Since Charles Peirce proposed the principle of practice, the perspective which values the body has been introduced. The endeavors of scholars like William James, John Dewey and Charles William Morris have all constructed the artistic-esthetic paradigm on the basis of body experience. From the 1980s onwards, scholars such as Richard Shusterman and Mark Johnson put forward and define the concept of somaesthetics. While pragmatism has not fully transcended dualism, its seminal paradigm has influenced the aesthetic studies in the world.

Key words: pragmatism, aesthetics, somatic turn

Wang Xiaohua. The Pragmatic Path of the Somatic Turn in the Western Aesthetics[J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2014, 34(6): 71-78.

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