p This book represents the fruit of many years’ lecturing to various sectors of the art public and students at art schools. In its present form it is addressed to readers abroad: for this reason the author held it important not merely to consider the substance of aesthetics, but also, within certain limits, to demonstrate how it is treated in Soviet aesthetic writings. The readers’ attention is drawn to the fact that while Soviet writers on aesthetics start out from basically similar premises, varying approaches to particular, as yet unresolved questions, are to be encountered.

p This book is designed to cater for a wide range of readers interested in the principles of the philosophical, i.e. aesthetic, analysis of the essential aspects of art—of the process of artistic creativity and works of art as such. It is to be hoped that it will also prove of interest to the creative intelligentsia and art students. Art is discussed in such a way as to ensure that the central concern should always be the artist, his unique individuality and the special features of his work. At the same time the reader will find examples of artistic analysis of specific phenomena in the history of art. The theoretical assessment of concrete works of art is not, however, aimed at singling out specific features of specific areas of art, but on the contrary at substantiating general patterns and laws of art and the expression of these laws in the categories used in aesthetics. To this end this work starts out from a combination of theoretical generalisations relevant to all 6 spheres of aesthetics and more localised concrete analysis providing the basis for the said generalisations.

This work is designed to fulfil two parallel functions, those of research and instruction. For this reason it may also be of interest to the general reader as well as the specialist. It is hoped that it will not only promote an understanding of the basic principles of Marxist aesthetics, but to a certain extent also provide Marxist criteria for the analysis and evaluation of a wide variety of manifestations of aesthetic activity.