Introducing Aesthetics

179 Pages·2003·4.95 MB·English

by  David E. Fenner

IntroducAiensgt hetics
David E. W. Fenner
WestpoCrto,n necticut
London
Libraryo Cfo ngreCsastal oging-in-Publication
Data
FenneDra,v iEd.W.
Introducianesgth eticsI b yD aviEd.W. Fenner.
p.em.
Includbeisb liograrpehfeirceanalcn esdi ndex.
ISBN0 -275-979(0alk.7 p-a5pe r)-ISBN 0-275-(9p7b90k:a8. l- k.p3 a per)
1.A estheti2cs..Ar t-PhilosoIp.TIh dye..
BH39.F459 2003
111.'8 5--dc21 2002190863
BritiLsihb raCrya taloguiinnP gu blicaDtiaotani sa vailable.
Copyrigh2t0@0 b3y D aviEd.W. Fenner
Allr ighrtse servedN.o portiono ft hibso omka ybe
reprodu,bc yean dy proceosrts e chniquwei,th outhte
expreswsri ttenc onseonftht e publisher.
LibraoryfC ongresCsa taloCga rdN umber2:0 01290863
ISBN0:- 275-97907-5
0-275-979(0p8b-k3. )
Firsptu blisihn2e 0d0 3
Praeger Pub8l8iP sohsetrs ,RW oeasdtW ,e stportCT, 06881
An imprionfGt r eenwood PublGirosuhpi,Inn cg.
� .praege�com
Printienthd e U nitSetadt eosfAm erica
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The paperu sedi nth isb oocko mplwiiethsth e
Permanent Paper iSstasnubdeyadth r edN ational
InformatioSnta ndarOdrsga nizatio(nZ 39.48-1984).
10 9 8 7 5 6 4 3 2 1
Form y parents,
Georganed Guadalupe Fenner

Contents
Introduction 1
5
PA RTI EXPERIENCES
Chapt1e rTh e AesthetiExpce rience 7
Chapt2e rTh e AestheticA ttitude 15
SectioOnn e:D isinterest 15
SectioTnw o:R eceVinetw s 23
PA RTI I OBJECATNSD E VENTS 31
Chapt3eTh re AestheticO bject 33
Chapte4r Defini"nArt g" 37
SectioOnn e:Wh y Defin"e Art"? 37
SectioTnw o:Imi tation andR epresentation-
The AncientG reeVike w 41
SectioThnr ee:R omanticism 47
SectioFno ur: Expressionism 52
SectioFni veF:o nnalism 60
SectioSnix : Antiessentialism 65
SectioSne ven:Th e Artworld 69
Chapt5e rC reatioansn dR e-creations 75
viii Contents
PA RITI IM EANING 83
Chap6t eInrt perretiArtn g 85
Chap7t eCre nsoArtr ing 93
PARIVT JUDGMENT 99
Chap8t eDre fining" Beauty" 101
SeticoOnn eWh:y Defin"eB eauty"? 101
ScetioTnwo :F onnalism 105
SectiThorne eS:u bcjvtieism 114
SectiFoonu rN:a turalism 123
Chap9t eRre vieArtw iannArtgd Criticism 129
AppendiAxnO: ut leio ftn hHeisto ry ofWe stern Aesthetics 139
Bibgrlaiphyo 161
Idnex 167
Inotdruction
Thiisas gr eatitm et ob er eadaibnogau ets thaentitdcsh p eh ilosoofap rth.y
Thigse nerisa itinaoun ni quhei stoproiscitatiolao pnp retchimeao tsceth al­
lengindge velopimnarte Wnetss tanda tw haotn oeft hweo rllde'asd ing aes­
.
theticiaannartds c ritiArthcs,ur Dantcoa,llt sh" ee nodfart" (9186T)hi.is is n
partb ecaartus ea pparheancsdh ya llaelntlgh eaidttc ana,nt dh rees ulhta s
beeanvirtu al erasourfte h lei bneetw ereenla ilaf neart,d betwenpe ractical
objeacntsartd objeWchtse.t henro Dtoa rn itrsoi gmhutc,hh a hsa ppeinne d
art int hpea twsotc ennrrainehdse ,ra ett heen odf t h2e0 tchetury n, antdh e
beginning oft h2es1 tw,eh avaenun paralvlanetalgpeeod i tnost tu djyu wshta t
these devhealvboeep emanen hndats v mee anAte.s thetics-theo fp hilosophy
beauatyn da rtt,h peh ilosooftp hhseye nsuaosupseo cfets x per--i-heansc e
managtherdo,u tghhde i ligoefan ecset heltiicDkiaean nttsoo s, ta wyi tthh e
unfoldionftg h hei stoofartr ,yt otry toa nswtehfares cinaqtiunegs tithoinss
histhoaorsffy e red.
In the Wetrasdtietirnoo nfp hilosaoepsehttiyhcsb, e gaanr ountdh 4et h
ceturyn B.Cw. ith aPnlAdari tsot oBdueet.x cefpottrh eocroimeison ugt of
Ne oplataonnfrdio smam fe wm ediepvhaill osloipkheeA rsuS guts.tia nned
StTh.o maAsq uinaaesse,tti hcsd indo cto mmantdh ien teorfse cshto olra rs
regaainan u dieunntilc teh Eenl ighteonmre,n tr,o tuhgtiehlm y,efo llowing
thRee naisThsiasns cheo.uc lodma esl itstulrep sriinstcehe,pe h ilosophy of
art haasn,pd r obasbhloyuf lodl,tl holewi offae rt a ntdh aert w orld.
Our Western hitrsatodriitifcaoowlnrh , i thcihts e trxti etsop roviadt eh or­
ougbhu tsum m aryi ntroductirooadn ma-ap ofs orts-findsc ontinuity
betwetehnwe o rokft haen ciGernetea kntsdh weo rokft hBer itiEsmhp iricists.
2 InotrducAeisnthge tics
Frothmi trsa ditiwoean tt emtpofit n ands wetroths e tr aditional ofq uestions
aesthetics:
Whatd oesi mte atnoexp erieannco eb jaeecsttith ceally?
Whati s art?
Whatis gooadrt ?
Whati bse auty?
Howd ow eJm 01J) whaitas e sthetigocoadlo lrby e autiful?
What daortw orkmse an?
What is wahnadst h oublethd e r oolfeth e acrtri tic?
Whata rthee r oloefms o ral,ip tyatrioretilsimgi,ao nntrud th in art?
What, ianfyth ings,h ouwlecd ne soarn?od n a nd on.
Frothme l ate t1oth6 e0l 0as1t 7e 0th0esB ritiEsmhp icirsits-Sftheasb,u ry
HutcheAdsdoins,o n, KAliasmoeHnswn,,e ,B urkGee,r ard-wfoorthrke e d
mospta trto fi nadn swteothr esq uestioonftasts e :h owii tths a wte can anddo
know thatat hinga,n o bjeorcan t e veinsbt e,a utiofulra esthetigcoaoldl?y
Durinthge l atsetarg oefsth iwso rank,d j uasftte irtth ,eW esttrearnd ition
movefrso mB ritatioGn e rmanThye.r e( actuianPl rulsys ia), Immanuel Kant
pursthueeq due stioofnt asHteew .a fso llobwythe edR omanSticcsh open­
hauanedrN ietzsAcnhdfre o.m th apto iwnemt o vfreo mth eh eaortfM odem
aesthettioCcs o ntermapraoyes thetiwcisth,fi guressu cahsT olstDoeyw,e y,
SanatanyaC,r ocanedC, o llinbgwroioddthg ei1 n9gthan d2 0thc enturies.
Buitit si n th e2 0thc enruthraytth er efuna lb eginwsh,e anrt an da rtists
raicshea llaeftnecgrhe a llteown hgaaetrt w aosr w hathte i nstiruotifao rtn,
the" acadheamhdye ,lart"d t ob eAb.s traEcxptr essiDoanidsamiP,so mArt,p,
anad rtismtiocv emaeftntea rr tismtiocv emenNte-wiY no riknP, a riins ,
London-fuostr orc eethindk h oww evi ewethden aturoefart Isth erwee,
.
askoeudr seanl esvsenecste,oart ? thIse rseo mnea tourfea rtw ec aanr ticulate,
somfoerm uloard efiniwtieco angin ve ,th aetxp reswsheaartst i sWi?th the
worokfs ucahr tisltiwnci naarsMi aersc Deulc haAmnpd,y WaRrohboelrt,
RauscheannbCdel ragOe,ls d enbwuremg o,v efrdo ms eeiartn agsd istinct
fromth eo rdintaosr eye iartn asg inusclievo fth eo rdinaroyr-odfi nary
objelcitsbk eed sso,uc pa nasn,sd n oswh ovels.
Thipsr ompstoemdae e stheticiaansMs-s ourrcihWs e iatzn Pda uZli ff.­
tod enthya thte rieas n syi nngalteuro efart Wec an,th eyth ougchotm,ue p
.
with nos uitadbelfinieti oonfart, becawuhsaet eavrtie nsro wi,wt i nlolbt e
tomorrIo'fwa .irt ths'e c olleocrcti oomnp iloafati l(olbn o findae' )a rtworks',
anthde w orilrsde atdoiy n clausartd se ucohb jeacswts e rbee ionffge rbeyd
Ducha(msph sohwo veulrisn,ae ltscth,.e )n', a irtns'o l ongeearsd ielsyc ribed.
Thisc hallenAgne-tithees secnhtiaalllithesannttge o e sseonfac rtce a bne
identifieurdre-sdthp ep hiloscoopmmhuniictyt oa cti(ornae trt,hot houg.h t)
Aesthetilciiavintngos d laiyDk aen taonG de orDgiec kibee gant of ocnuost
Introducti3o n
onart asa colloefac rtitwoonbr ukratsth easr tr aditioorin nss titutiDoannst.o
focuosneth deh istoofartr ,yth etr aditioofartn , a nthde recbaym uepwi th
somethianlgal rth aind c ommona:la lrth aasp lainc weh ahtec althle"s A rt­
worlDdi.c"kif eo cuosnthe edi nstituotifarto ,nth ei nstituotifpo eno pwlheo
seaer wth,od ispartl,wa hyo c reaarttan,ed f ounthda thits i nstitubtioounnd
togeththeev ra rioefoty b jeancdtse vewnetsc onsairtd.e r
Soi ittruls y an excititimnetg o r eaade sthebtiecsc,a wuesa era ets ucahn
incretidmieib nthl ee hisotfao rtrC.yh allheanvgbeee sera ni seadna,dn swers
havbee eonff erAenddn. o wth es tudeonfat e sthehtiacsas n o pportunittyo
viewth ep anoraanmddae cifdohere rsTheel trfa.d itional oqfau eessti­ons
theticsd on ogto a waThyey. arpee renAnnidta hliis.ws h aatn swtheerq su es­
tionWh,y reoathrdi nakb oausetteh ticsQ?u estioanbso und-ianndso iudtsei de
thei votroyw eorsfth ea cadeBmuythte. a nsweorffse rteodd taothy o spee r­
sistqeunets tiaorvneas ri aneddm anAyn.dth eo ptioonffse rteothd e r eader
ofa estheatirricsec ihn deed.
Ih avoen loyn oeth etars bke fowrebe e gina ne xaminaotiftho enW estern
traditioofan e sthettiocs saa:yw oradb othuet" Westtrearnd"i tiSounr.e ly
therhea bse emnu cphh ilosothpahihtca absle lesyna aibdo artu tan db ea,u ty
anadgr eadte aolfi itos u tsiodroe n th ep eriphoefthr eyW esttrearnd ition.
Onen eeodn llyo otkoth ev astnoefths esh istoofar rtoy fe astAseirnat or ec­
ognizeth atth eriems u cmho rteop hilhoiszoaipbngoart u tth ani csa ptured
juisntht e W esIt .m enthitisof notw ro r easFoinrsthis.stb ,o owikl nlo cto ver
theb reaodfath lp lhi losopahibozuiatnrt Ig.n deseedr,id oouusbth tsa stu cah
taski esv epno ssibleS eacbooinunitddrs ,.e commentdothe eds erioauess ­
thetithicn kethra ns hceo nslioodkinegri nttroa ditioountssio dfthie s o neI.t
ilsi mittiothinkn g thatth etr aditioonfinen dosn esienisl aflth le rise.Th e
worilbsdi angd,th eh istoofthr ewy o rilbsdi ggsetilrl S.oa ftoenrre e athidss
booankd,a ftero neun derstathinsdtr sa dition-probowna-bthleyn one's
onmei gthinkht aboluoto kinagto therre southrocsethesa ,td escorithbeer
traditions.