Japanese Aesthetics

Observations

First observation, classical Japanese philosophy understands reality as constant change, or impermanence (a Buddhist expression). Parkes & Loughnane (2023)

Second observation is that the arts in Japan have tendency to be connected with self-cultivation, often referred to as “ways of living”, the way of tea ceremony, the way of writing (i.e. calligraphy), and so forth. To this day it is not unusual in Japan for the scholar to be a fine calligrapher and an accomplished poet in addition to possessing the pertinent intellectual abilities¹.

Mono no aware: the Pathos of Things

Wabi: Simple, Austere Beauty

Sabi: Rustic Patina

Yūgen: Mysterious Grace

Iki: Refined Style

Kire: Cutting

Reference

Parkes, G., & Loughnane, A. (2023). Japanese Aesthetics. In E. N. Zalta & U. Nodelman (Eds.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2023). Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2023/entries/japanese-aesthetics/

Originates in China, the scholar official in China was expected to be skilled in the “Six Arts”—ceremonial ritual, music, calligraphy, mathematics, archery, and charioteering.↩︎