On the Idea of the Aesthetics of Scent-Transmission (kunjű)

Abstract

The author tries to define at first the task of comparative aesthetics today with respect to the aisthesis, in order to illuminate the special character of Japanese art aesthetically, and above all, in comparison with European art. He uses the Japanese Tea-Way as an example in comparison with the British tradition of “Afternoon Tea” and the Catholic Mass. As the key concept he picks up the word kunjű (literally: scent-transmission), which is originally a buddhistic concept, to be deconstructed by the author and subsequently transformed into a methodological concept.