Abstract: “Beyond Aesthetics” represented by Welsch and Gao in the international and domestic circles of aesthetics transcended both the traditional view of “Aesthetics as Art” and the superficial aesthetics incurred by the prevailing pop consumer culture. The former had certain theoretical depth and historical influence while the latter was the result of the deluge of aesthetic secularization in today′s global commercial era. “Beyond aesthetics” is not outside of aesthetics, but the family resemblance of aesthetic concepts beyond their boundaries. Its target is not only the “spirit of beauty”, but also a new cognition of reality. “Beyond Aesthetics” is also the “return of beauty” which does not mean returning to the past, but return to its own field as a discipline and to epistemological aestheticization which makes aesthetic appreciation an everyday existence, thus the return to everyday life. During China's reform and opening up, the issues encountered like technology and humanities, prevailing pop culture and ecological crisis criticized by the western Marxists in modern capitalist society are also the research contents of Chinese contemporary aesthetics. Similarly, such topics as aesthetic ideology and cultural studies have also been the ones for Chinese aesthetics. The western Marxism is only one of the influences among western thoughts. Therefore, it is essential for Chinese contemporary aesthetics to learn from and refer to the western counterpart instead of rejection because of nationalism. We should not talk too much “ism”, or blindly pursue originality, but attach importance to digestion and absorption and draw on from others′ strengths to offset our own weaknesses, which will be conducive to Chinese aesthetics.

Key words: beyond aesthetics, family resemblance, return of aesthetics, Chinese aesthetics