According to the results of archaeological excavations, we can conclude that even primitive people had a characteristic aesthetic need. Researchers found rock paintings that were made about 30 thousand years ago. Even then, a man dreamed of being surrounded by harmonious, beautiful objects.
Approaches to the source of aesthetic needs
What is an aesthetic need? There are three main approaches to understanding this term.
Hedonism
The theory of aesthetic pleasure (hedonism) involves the perception of nature as the main source of pleasure. J. Locke said that such terms as “beauty”, “beautiful”, in the understanding of a person, mean those objects that “evoke feelings of pleasure and joy”. It was the hedonistic approach that contributed to the emergence of artistic and aesthetic needs, led to the emergence of experimental aesthetics.
The founder of this trend is the psychophysicist G. Fechner. Aesthetic need is considered the need to create conditions for obtaining aesthetic pleasure. Verhner experimented with a group of volunteers, offering them sounds, colors. He systematized the obtained results, as a result of which he was able to establish the "laws" of aesthetic pleasure:
- threshold;
- gain;
- harmony;
- clarity;
- lack of contradictions;
- aesthetic associations.
If the stimulation parameters coincided with natural qualities, a person could experience true pleasure from the seen natural objects. The theory has found its application in popular culture and industrial design. For example, many people enjoy the appearance of expensive cars, but not everyone has the aesthetic need to consider the works of German expressionists.
Empathy theory
This approach consists in the transfer of experiences to certain works of art, as if a person compares himself with them. F. Schiller considers art as an opportunity to "transform other people's feelings into their experiences." The process of empathy is intuitive. This theory implies the satisfaction of aesthetic needs with the help of paintings "created by the rules."
Cognitive approach
In this case, the aesthetic need of the individual is considered as a variant of comprehension of wisdom. This view was held by Aristotle. Proponents of this approach view art as imaginative thinking. They believe that the aesthetic needs of a person help him to know the world around him.
"Psychology of art"
L. S. Vygotsky in his work analyzed this problem. He believed that aesthetic needs and abilities of a person are a special form of socialization of his sensual world. According to the theory set forth in the Psychology of Art, the author is convinced that with the help of works of art one can transform passions, emotions, individual feelings, and turn ignorance into good breeding. In this case, a person has a state of catharsis, characterized by enlightenment, the elimination of contradictions in feelings, his awareness of a new life situation. Due to the relaxation of internal tension with the help of works of art, genuine motivation arises for subsequent aesthetic activity. In the process of forming a certain artistic taste, according to Vygotsky, there is a need for aesthetic education. A person is ready to study theory in order to again experience the pleasure of visual study of art objects.
As the empirical development of the human personality, the change in society, the attitude to beauty, the desire to create changed. As a result of progress in various fields of human activity, various achievements of world culture arose. As a result of progress, the artistic and aesthetic needs of the person were modernized, and the spiritual image of the person was adjusted. They affect the creative orientation, intelligence, creative orientation of activities and aspirations, attitude towards other people. In the absence of a formed ability for aesthetic perception, humanity will not be able to realize itself in a beautiful and multifaceted world. In this case, it will not be possible to talk about culture. The formation of this quality is possible on the basis of focused aesthetic education.
The Importance of Cultural Development
We analyze the basic aesthetic needs. Examples of the importance of full aesthetic education are supported by historical facts. The needs of an aesthetic plan are a source for the development of the world. Man is a social being, therefore, for self-realization he needs to feel his relevance, necessity. Dissatisfaction generates aggression, negatively affects the mental state of a person.
What is a need?
Every living creature exists by consuming the necessities of life. The basis of this process is the need or needs. Let's try to find a definition for this concept. M. P. Ershov in his work “Human Need” states that need is the root cause of life, and this quality is characteristic of all living beings. He considers the need as a specific property of living matter, which distinguishes it from the inanimate world.
The philosophers of the ancient world
The thinkers of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece seriously studied the problem of the needs of other people, and even managed to achieve certain positive results. Democritus defined the need as the main driving force that changed the mind of a person, helped him to master speech, language, and acquire the habit of active labor. If people did not have such needs, he would remain wild, could not create a developed social society, exist in it. Heraclitus was convinced that they arise depending on living conditions. But the philosopher noted that desires should be reasonable so that a person can improve his intellectual abilities. Plato divided all needs into several groups:
- primary ones that form the “lower soul”;
- secondary, capable of forming a rational personality.
Modernity
French materials at the end of the 17th century attached importance to these qualities. So, P. Golbach said that with the help of needs a person can control his passions, will, mental abilities, develop independently. N. G. Chernyshevsky associated needs with the cognitive activity of any person. He was sure that throughout his life, a person’s interests and needs change, which is the main factor for continuous development, creative activity. Despite serious differences in views, we can say that there are many similarities in the opinions expressed by scientists. All of them recognized the relationship between needs and human activity. The lack causes a desire to change the situation for the better, to find a way to solve the problem. Need can be considered a component of the internal state of a person, a structural element of active activity, which is aimed at obtaining the desired result. In his writings, Karl Max devoted enough attention to this problem, realizing the importance of explaining the nature of this concept. He noted that it is needs that are the cause of any activity, that allow a specific individual to find his place in society. Such a naturalistic approach is based on the relationship between the natural nature of man and the specific historical type of social relations, acting as a link between the needs and nature of man. Only then can we talk about the personality, K. Marx considered, when a person is not limited to his needs, but also interacts with other people.
Possibility of self-expression
Currently, various options are used to classify human needs. Epicurus (the ancient Greek philosopher) divided them into natural and necessary. In case of their dissatisfaction, people suffer. Necessary needs, he called communication with other people. In order for a person to self-actualize, he needs to make serious efforts. As for brilliance, wealth, luxury, it is very difficult to get them, only a few manage to do it. A particular interest in this topic was shown by Dostoevsky. He came up with his own classification, we single out material wealth, without which a normal human life is impossible. A special place was given to the needs of consciousness, to unite people, to social needs. Dostoevsky was convinced that his desires, aspirations, and behavior in society directly depend on the level of spiritual development.
Personality culture
Aesthetic consciousness is part of social consciousness, its structural element. It, together with morality, forms the basis of modern society, helps humanity to develop, has a positive effect on the spirituality of people. In its activity, it manifests itself in the form of a spiritual need, expressing an attitude towards external factors. It is not opposed to aesthetic development, but stimulates a person to be active, helps him put theoretical knowledge into practice.
Conclusion
Such a concept as needs, throughout the entire existence of human society, has attracted the attention of many great thinkers and bright personalities. Depending on the level of development, intellectual characteristics, each person forms for himself his own system of needs, without which he considers his existence limited, inferior. Intellectually developed individuals first pay attention to aesthetic needs, and only then they think about material wealth. There are only a few such people; at all times of the existence of human society they were considered a role model; other people followed their example. It is the need for communication, the desire to do something for other people, developed among political and public figures, helps them in self-realization and self-development.