As a new trend in aesthetics appearing concurrently in the West and the East in the last ten years, the aesthetics of everyday life points to a growing diversification among existing methodologies for pursuing aesthetics, alongside the shift from art-based aesthetics. The cultural diversity manifest in global aesthetics offers common ground for the collaborative efforts of aesthetics in both the West and the East. Given the rapidly growing interest and its potential for attracting new audiences extending beyond the more narrowly focused traditions of twentieth-century analytic and environmental aesthetics, it stands to command its own share of attention in the future of aesthetic studies.The aesthetics of everyday life has become a stream of thought with a global ambition. This interest has led to numerous systematic and in-depth works on this topic, some of which were conducted by the authors represented in this volume. A salient feature of this book is that it not only represents the recent developments of the aesthetics of everyday life in the West, but also highlights the interaction between scholars in the West and the East on this topic. Thus, the project is a contribution toward mutual progress in the collaboration between Western and Eastern aesthetics. What distinguishes this book from other anthologies and monographs on this topic is that it reconstructs the aesthetics of everyday life through cultural dialogue between the West and the East, with a view to building a new form of aesthetics of everyday life, as seen from a global perspective.At present, the aesthetics of everyday life as a newly emergent approach to aesthetics may encounter skepticism among aestheticians accustomed to the rigors of analytic philosophers who prefer to discuss aesthetics at the level of abstract concepts and argument, and who tolerate the particulars of experience mainly as illustrations. But, there is no reason to abandon the pursuit of the aesthetics of everyday life in the face of such objections. On the contrary, there are many benefits to gain in bringing aesthetics to bear on a wider sphere of human life, made possible through efforts to show the relevance of aesthetics to a broader range of human actions.


Liu Yuedi is Associate Professor in the Institute of Philosophy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Delegate at large of International Association for Aesthetics, Secretary-General of the Chinese Society for Aesthetics, and Executive Main-Editor of The Journal of Aesthetics. His recent books include Boundless Wind and Moon: Chinese Traditional Aesthetics of Everyday Life (2014); Contemporary Studies of Chinese Aesthetics (2012); Aesthetics in Everyday Life (2011); and The History of Analytic Aesthetics (2009).Curtis L. Carter is a Professor of Aesthetics at Marquette University, and the founding director of the Haggerty Museum of Art (1984-2007). His recent publications include authoring Border Crossings: Essays on Art and Aesthetics (2014, in press) and editing Art and Social Change: IAA Yearbook of Aesthetics (2009). He has also held leadership positions for national and international organizations, including President of the International Association for Aesthetics (2010-2013) and Secretary-Treasurer of American Society for Aesthetics (1996-2006).