Orientation and reflection

a research on Susan Sontag’s new sensibility

Abstract

Susan Sontag’s aesthetic thought - New Sensibility, is an accurate summary of her understandings and accurate grasp on the era of visual culture, which is also an effective way of appreciating them. New sensibility is one of the sensibility concepts put forward by Sontag at the early stage. Its definition can be summarized as an ability of aesthetic perception of the experiences in this new era. The ability is to appreciate visual arts, appeal to pure sensibility and devote to changing modern people’s consciousness and sensibility. However, New Sensibility overemphasizes sensory or perceptual experiences while ignoring the moral dimension, which leads to its inherent defects and cannot be ignored. It can be seen from the inconsistent critical comments of Sontag on the Riefenstahl’s artistic works.

Susan Sontag. New Sensibility. Orientation. reflection