蔡仪美学在中国马克思主义美学史乃至20世纪中国美学史留下了深刻印记和根本性影响,具有重要的研究意义。20世纪中国美学发展史上,蔡仪首次援引马克思主义的唯物认识论来探讨艺术和美学的问题、规律,总体上较为鲜明、系统、完整地阐述了其唯物认识论美学的基本观点,形成新美学体系,这是中国真正开始运用马克思主义观点创立美学学派的开端。蔡仪成为中国最早运用马克思主义理论来系统解释审美现象和审美活动的美学家, Cai Yi’s aesthetics left a deep imprint and fundamental influence on the history of Chinese Marxist aesthetics and even the history of Chinese aesthetics in the 20th century, which is of great research significance. In the history of the development of Chinese aesthetics in the 20th century, Cai Yi first referred to Marxist materialistic epistemology to discuss the problems and laws of art and aesthetics. On the whole, he clearly and systematically and completely expounded the basic viewpoint of his materialist epistemological aesthetics and formed a new aesthetic system. This is the beginning of China’s genuine start of establishing an aesthetic school from the Marxist point of view. Cai Yi became China’s first esthetician who used Marxist theory to systematically interpret aesthetic phenomena and aesthetic activities.