Possibility of the Aesthetic Experience

174 Pages·1986·4.35 MB·English

by  T. J. Diffey (auth.)

Possibility of the Aesthetic Experience
MARTINUS NIJHOFF PHILOSOPHY LIBRARY
VOLUME 14
For a complete list of volumes in this series see final page of the volume.
Possibility of the
Aesthetic Experience
edited by
Michael H. Mitias
(Millsaps College)
1986 MARTINUS NIJHOFF PUBLISHERS I~I..
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DORDRECHT / BOSTON / LANCASTER .~
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Main entry under title:
Possibility of the sesthetic experience.
(Martinus Nijhoff philosophy library; v. 14)
Includes index.
1. Aestheties--Addresses, essays, lectures.
2. Experience--Addresses, essays, lectures.
I. MItias. Michael H. II. Series.
BH30l.E8P67 1986 111'.85 85-29825
ISBN-13:978-94-010-8443-7 e-ISBN-13 :978-94-009-4372-8
DOI:I0.I007/978-94-009-4372-8
Copyright
© 1986 by Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1986
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photoco
pying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the
publishers,
Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, P.O. Box 163, 3300 AD Dordrecht,
The Netherlands.
For Herman and Martha Hines
VII
CONTENTS
Preface ix
I. Aporetic Character oj the Aesthetic Experience
One: The Idea of Aesthetic Experience 3
T.J. Diffey
Two: A Critique of Aesthetics 13
Carla Cordua
Three: The Actualities of Non-Aesthetic Experience 27
Jerome Stolnitz
Four: Can We Speak of 'Aesthetic Experience'? 47
Michael H. Mitias
II. Having an Aesthetic Experience 59
Five: Experiencing Aesthetically, Aesthetic Experience, and 61
Experience in Aesthetics
Robert Ginsberg
Six: The Deweyan View of Experience 79
Lawrence Haworth
Seven: Experience and Theory in Aesthetics 91
Arnold Berleant
Eight: The Aesthetic Experience: An Exploration 107
Warren E. Steinkraus
III. Nature oj the Aesthetic Experience 115
Nine: What Makes an Experience Aesthetic? 117
Harold Osborne
Ten: Controversy About Aesthetic Attitude: Does Aesthetic l39
Attitude Condition Aesthetic Experience?
Bohdan Dziemidok
VIII
Eleven: Mode of Existence of Aesthetic Qualities 159
Michael H. Mitias
Index 169
IX
PREFACE
The majority of aestheticians have focused their attention during the past three
decades on the identity, or essential nature, of art: can 'art' be defined? What makes
an object a work of art? Under what conditions can we characterize in a
classificatory sense an object as an art work? The debate, and at times controversy,
over these questions proved to be constructive, intellectually stimulating, and in
many cases suggestive of new ideas. I hope this debate continues in its momentum
and creative outcome. The time is, however, ripe to direct our attention to another
important, yet neglected, concept - viz., 'aesthetic experience' - which occupies a
prominent place in the philosohpy of art. We do not only create art; we also enjoy,
i.e., experience, and evaluate it. How can we theorize about the nature of art in
general and the art work in particular, and about what makes an object a good work
of art, if we do not experience it? For example, how can we identify an object as
an art work and distinguish it from other types of objects unless we first perceive
it, that is in a critical, educated manner? Again, how can we judge a work as good,
elegant, melodramatic, or beautiful unless we first perceive it and recognize its
artistic aspect? It seems to me that experiencing art works is a necessary condition
for any reasonable theory on the nature of art and artistic criticism.
We should then ask: what does it mean to experience a work of art? Is this sort
of experience special or is it different from other types of experience? Next, what
is the structure of the aesthetic experience? Is it an experience? We have been in the
habit of calling it an 'aesthetic experience'; we should accordingly ask: what makes
it aesthetic? In this context, what does 'make' mean? Can we have 'an experience'
simpliciter? Finally, what do we mean by 'aesthetic'? What is the principle of
aesthetic distinction? Under what conditions can something called 'an experience'
undergo a change in which it 'becomes' or acquires the character of aesthetic-ness?
I raise this train of questions only to stress their difficulty and consequently the
need to explore their import thoughtfully and systematically. To meet this need, I
have invited a number of distinguished aestheticians to make substantial
contributions towards the clarification and analysis of the very possibility of the
aesthetic experience. The questions with which they have dealt are: what problems
are involved in talking about 'aesthetic experience'? What does it mean to have an
aesthetic experience? What is the structure of the aesthetic experience?
In preparing this volume I received financial assistance and encouragement from
Dr. Robert King, Vice President and Dean of Millsaps College. To him lowe a great
debt of gratitude.
M.H. Mitias
Jackson, Mississippi
PART I
APORETIC CHARACTER OF THE AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE
3
ESSAY ONE
THE IDEA OF AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE
T.J. Diffey
There is a well-established literature in philosophy on aesthetic experience and prima
jacie it seems that aesthetic experience is a topic about which we can theorize and
make significant statements. Yet what are we talking about when we talk about
aesthetic experience? It is a shocking admission to have to make, but I have to
confess that I do not know. At the very least I find that the notion of aesthetic
experience is unclear. I, or perhaps we, since I do not believe that I am alone in this
matter, have no clear grasp of the notion. To ask what aesthetic experience refers
to, or what it is experience of is liable to propel us into perplexity, unless perhaps
we have already made the resolve to define the term in a certain way for theoretical
purposes. But if one has no theoretical ambitions which require any idea of aesthetic
experience and yet is armed with a philosophical curiosity about what aesthetic
experience may be, then perplexity is the fate that is liable to await one.
Matters remain clear (well, tolerably clear) while we remain as it were internally
within any particular account of aesthetic experience offered by a philosopher.
Perplexities begin to beset us when we feel uneasy about accepting anyone such
account. This reluctance to accept the view of anyone philosopher on the subject
is not owing to perversity on our part but arises from the feeling that aesthetic
experience suggests more possibilities than those captured by anyone proffered
account. We have been here before of course, for exactly similar things have been
said from time to time about answers to another question in aesthetics, namely how
to define a work of art.
Perplexities are multiplied about aesthetic experience when we try to fit into some
one coherent view those various features of aesthetic experience which we have
picked up from perhaps too eclectic, wide and undisciplined a reading in
philosophy.
Suppose for example that we start from certain familiar accounts of aesthetic
experience, such as Schopenhauer's, and, making a common assumption about
aesthetic experience, assume that Schopenhauer's account of aesthetic experience
must therefore be an account of what it is to experience a work of art. Then we shall
Mitias, M.H. (ed.) Possibility of the Aesthetic Experience
© 1986 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht