编者按:美本质及“美是什么”命题被称为美学的核心问题、根本问题;但两千多年来一直悬而未决。西方分析主义美学曾对该命题的合理性提出质疑,国内也曾进行过“本质主义”与“反本质主义”的论争,都是不了了之。目前,疑云并未消散,只是暂时搁置。这种状态使得美本质研究在全世界范围内都处于两难境地——若要继续进行,恐怕重蹈覆辙;若不继续进行,又没有充分的理由。美学要顺利发展,必须解决这一症 Editor’s note: The nature of the United States and “What is the United States?” Proposition is called the core issue of aesthetics, the fundamental problem; but more than two thousand years has been left unresolved. Western analytic aesthetics has challenged the rationality of the proposition, and the debate on “essentialism” and “anti-essentialism” has also been conducted domestically. All this can not be done. At present, the suspicion has not dissipated, but temporarily shelved. This state has caused the study of the essence of the United States to be in a dilemma all over the world. If it is to continue, I am afraid to repeat the same mistakes. If it is not continued, there will be no sufficient reason. Aesthetics needs to be developed smoothly. This problem must be solved