German Aesthetic Enlightenment:From Rationalism to"Neue Mythologie"
The German Aesthetic Enlightenment is a special cultural phenomenon whose paradigm has changed several times.Baumgarten's concept of Aesthetica aimed to promote philosophical enlightenment and spread rationalism widely;Lessing reversed aesthetics to serve the cultivation of practical reason among citizen communities.The later radicals and romantics tried to construct a national"Neue Mythologie"to introduce poetic creation and interpretation to meaning producing process.A new aesthetic enlightenment paradigm appeared,and philosophy became an experiential public cultural resource.Further realization of ethics in community was predicted.Lyric poets became leaders of aesthetic enlightenment and national self-direction.This"Neue Mythologie"has a great influence on 20th century aesthetics,but theoretical problems remain unsolved.