Abstract Is it possible to incorporate the academic output of neuroaesthetics into the historical tradition of aesthetics and art research, and thus create a new landmark? This question involves the value of a new discipline. Answering it requires both empirical exploration and dialectical reflection in the interdisciplinary research of aesthetics and art. Semir Zeki’s research on neuroaesthetics provides a typical example. In analyzing the relationship between artistic brain and biological brain and that between aesthetic brain and emotional brain, I argue that the combination of physical and metaphysical methodology and the integration of different aesthetic schools and perspectives constitute the basic methods of the interdisciplinary research of aesthetics.In his article “On Neuroaesthetics”, Li Zehou identifies neuroaesthetics as an extension of practical aesthetics and believes it to be of great innovation. Li believes that neuroaesthetics is an important direction of practical aesthetics, on which practical aesthetics places its hope with best endorsement, and that neuroaesthetics is a major exploration of aesthetic psychology in practical aesthetics. In recent Western handbooks and guidelines of aesthetics, cognitive science and neuroscience have been included and become a source of thinking and innovation in the study of aesthetics. The combination of aesthetics, art and neuroscience has taken shape.Looking back on the major achievements of neuroaesthetics in the past 3 decades, especially Semir Zeki’s research approach to neuroaesthetics, we propose two ontological concepts: artistic brain and aesthetic brain. In the analysis of relationship of artistic brain and biological brain, neuroaesthetics reveals the neurobiological basis in art creation and appreciation. Categorization, formalization, signification, technology and practicality in the neurobiological process of artistic activities has distinguished artistic brain from biological brain and aesthetic brain. The analysis of the relationship between aesthetic brain and emotional brain has shown the functional value of emotional brain as the core area of aesthetic brain. At the same time, we point out the limit of the definition of beauty with the functional attribute of emotional brain. The possibility of offering a metaphysical definition of beauty lies in the advancement of the study of emotion, conscious, and neuroscience, and also on the dialectical interpretation of these neurobiological basis. Neuroscience has expanded itself in aesthetics and art, which promotes the unity of these subjects.Previous research shows the triple challenges in the generation and development of neuroaesthetics. Firstly, how to consider and tackle the tension between the finite variables in a lab environment and the infinite variables of subjective value judgment in the humanities? Secondly, how to understand the tension between the correlative conclusion of aesthetic stimulation, judgment and generation observed in a current lab environment and the causative inquiry required by natural science, social sciences and the humanities? Thirdly, how to tackle the challenge of neuroaesthetics in incorporating complex subject statement (sociocultural environment, spatial environment and physical body) and dialectical inquiry into an experiment during the pursuit of aesthetic emotion? A holistic and multi-cultural perspective offers some relief to these challenges and new solutions are conceived in novel empirical studies and dialectical reflections.
Meng Fanjun. Union and Mutual Learning Between Aesthetics, Arts and Neuroscience: A General Review and Reflection on Zeki’s Neuroaesthetics[J]. JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY, 2023, 53(6): 58-70.
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