Skip to main content

Mojca Kuplen

University of Tennessee Knoxville, Philosophy, Faculty Member

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Institute of Philosofy and Humanities, Post-Doc

Alfred University, Philosophy, Faculty Member

Followers

49

Following

8

Public Views

Address: Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences
University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
Bento Gonçalves Avenue, Building 43311
Porto Alegre – Rio Grande do Sul – Brazil

less

Sally Haslanger

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Danièle Moyal-Sharrock

University of Hertfordshire

University of California, Merced

Central European University

Kansas State University

Fordham University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Macquarie University

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Istanbul 29 Mayis University

InterestsView All (6)

Uploads

Drafts by Mojca Kuplen

Therapeutic Self-knowledge in Narrative Art

Journal of Aesthetic Education, 2020

In recent years, there have been common debates in aesthetics and philosophy of art on the questi... more In recent years, there have been common debates in aesthetics and philosophy of art on the question whether we can acquire knowledge about the world from works of art. However, little has been written on the effects that art has on cultivating self-knowledge and self-development. While for most of us it seems obvious that art has these effects, little is known about how and why these effects occur. Addressing this issue is the main aim of this paper. The gist of the argument is that narrative art gives us a unique opportunity to adopt a dual (first and third-personal) perspective on the self, which is argued recently by psychologists and philosophers of mind to be necessary for obtaining the kind of self-knowledge that leads to self-development and self-change, i.e. therapeutic self-knowledge.

Is There a Possibility of an Ugly Aesthetic Idea in Kant's Aesthetics?

Proceedings of the 12. International Kant Congress Nature and Freedom, ed Violetta L. Waibel and Margit Ruffing, Berlin: Walter De Gruyter, 2018 (in print), 2018

In Kant’s aesthetic theory, the association of ugliness with aesthetic ideas is not immediately a... more In Kant’s aesthetic theory, the association of ugliness with aesthetic ideas is not immediately apparent. Even more, it has been argued by most of Kant’s commentators that ugliness cannot express aesthetic ideas.¹ In short, they claim that accordance with taste (i.e. free harmony between imagination and understanding) is a necessary condition for an aesthetic idea to be expressed in a way that makes sense to others. But if production of aesthetic ideas must be restrained by taste in order to have meaning and if ugliness consists in a disharmony between imagination and understanding (i.e. discordance with taste), then it follows that ugliness must essentially be nonsensical. My aim in this paper is to propose a different interpretation of the relation between Kant’s notions of aesthetic ideas and taste such that it can accommodate an ugly aesthetic idea into the overall aesthetic picture. I will argue that even though ugliness does not conform to taste it is nevertheless related to taste and thus it remains consistent with Kant’s view that taste is required for the communication of aesthetic ideas.

Papers by Mojca Kuplen

Kant's Theory of Laughter

In this paper I offer an alternative interpretation of Immanuel Kant’s theory of laughter that ca... more In this paper I offer an alternative interpretation of Immanuel Kant’s theory of laughter that can meet the challenges left behind by the interpretations that have so far been given. I argue that laughter is a reaction to the dissolution of nonsense, which takes the form of realizing our own misconceptions about the object. Laughter reveals something about our cognitive and rational system: namely, that it is insufficient to explain all of our experiences and perceptions of the world and that we often need to revise our expectations in order to make sense of the world. In this respect, laughter stands in a direct opposition to Kant’s notion of the sublime

Narrative Art as a Route to Self-Knowledge and Self-Development

Debates about whether works of art can serve as a source of knowledge about the world or whether ... more Debates about whether works of art can serve as a source of knowledge about the world or whether they can promote other-understanding have been common in contemporary aesthetics and philosophy of art. However, little has been written on the effects that art has on cultivating self-knowledge and self-development. While for most of us it seems obvious that art has these effects, little is known about how and why these effects occur. Addressing this issue is the main aim of the present paper. The gist of the argument is that narrative art, understood as a mental simulation gives us a unique opportunity to adopt a dual (first and third) perspective on the self, which is argued recently by psychologists and philosophers of mind to be necessary for obtaining the kind of self-knowledge that leads to self-change.

Is There a Possibility of an Ugly Aesthetic Idea in Kant’s Aesthetics?

Natur und Freiheit, 2018

In Kant’s aesthetic theory, the association of ugliness with aesthetic ideas is not immediately a... more In Kant’s aesthetic theory, the association of ugliness with aesthetic ideas is not immediately apparent. Even more, it has been argued by most of Kant’s commentators that ugliness cannot express aesthetic ideas.¹ In short, they claim that accordance with taste (i.e. free harmony between imagination and understanding) is a necessary condition for an aesthetic idea to be expressed in a way that makes sense to others. But if production of aesthetic ideas must be restrained by taste in order to have meaning and if ugliness consists in a disharmony between imagination and understanding (i.e. discordance with taste), then it follows that ugliness must essentially be nonsensical. My aim in this paper is to propose a different interpretation of the relation between Kant’s notions of aesthetic ideas and taste such that it can accommodate an ugly aesthetic idea into the overall aesthetic picture. I will argue that even though ugliness does not conform to taste it is nevertheless related to taste and thus it remains consistent with Kant’s view that taste is required for the communication of aesthetic ideas.

Cognitive Function of Beauty and Ugliness in Light of Kant’s Theory of Aesthetic Ideas

Beyond Words

Aesthetic representation of purposiveness and the concept of beauty in Kant’s aesthetics. The solution of the ‘everything is beautiful’ problem

Philosophical Inquiries, 2016

In the Critique of the Power of Judgment , Kant introduces the notion of the reflective judgment ... more In the Critique of the Power of Judgment , Kant introduces the notion of the reflective judgment and the a priori principle of purposiveness or systematicity of nature. He claims that the ability to judge objects by means of this principle underlies empirical concept acquisition and it is therefore necessary for cognition in general. In addition, he suggests that there is a connection between this principle and judgments of taste. Kant’s account of this connection has been criticized by several commentators for the reason that it leads to the ‘everythingisbeautiful’ problem. In this paper I argue, contrary to these objections, that both finding an object beautiful and acquiring the concept represent the satisfaction of the same principle of nature’s purposiveness, which refers to the same cognitive need we have, that is, to systematize experience. I avoid the ‘everything is beautiful’ problem by arguing that aesthetic reflection refers to the synthesis of object’s individual and dis...

Aesthetic Comprehension of Abstract and Emotion Concepts: Kant’s Aesthetics Renewed

In § 49 of the Critique of the Power of Judgment Kant puts forward a view that the feeling of ple... more In § 49 of the Critique of the Power of Judgment Kant puts forward a view that the feeling of pleasure in the experience of the beautiful can be stimulated not merely by perceptual properties, but by ideas and thoughts as well. The aim of this paper is to argue that aesthetic ideas fill in the emptiness that abstract and emotion concepts on their own would have without empirical intuitions. That is, aesthetic ideas make these concepts more accessible to us, by creating image schemas that allow us to think about these abstract concepts in a way linked to sensory experience, thereby imbuing them with a more substantive meaning and understanding.

Webmaster Disgust and Ugliness : a Kantian Perspective

Contemporary discussions of the problem of ugliness in Kant’s aesthetic theory have, to my knowle... more Contemporary discussions of the problem of ugliness in Kant’s aesthetic theory have, to my knowledge, left unexplored the relation of disgust to ugliness. At most, they have explained away disgust as merely an extreme form of ugliness or displeasure, as Guyer did in his interpretation of ugliness in Kant’s aesthetic theory,[1] and by that strayed from the phenomenological and conceptual uniqueness of disgust in comparison to ugliness, while Kant, as I argue, did not. As a matter of fact, careful investigation of the concept of disgust in Kant’s writing will reveal the distinctive and multifaceted character that he ascribed to this phenomenon. By examining Kant’s treatment of disgust in comparison with more comprehensive contemporary studies given by phenomenologist Aurel Kolnai, psychologist Paul Rozin, and the social study of William Ian Miller, I will address the ways in which disgust can penetrate artistic representation without subverting it and, more closely, interrogate the ro...

Lo sublime, la fealdad y el arte contemporáneo: una perspectiva kantiana

The aim of this paper is twofold. First , to explain the distinction between Kant’s notions of th... more The aim of this paper is twofold. First , to explain the distinction between Kant’s notions of the sublime and ugliness, and to answer an important question that has been left unnoticed in contemporary studies, namely why it is the case that even though both sublime and ugliness are contrapurposive for the power of judgment, occasioning the feeling of displeasure, yet that after all we should feel pleasure in the former, while not in the latter. Second, to apply my interpretation of the sublime and ugliness to contemporary art, and to resolve certain issues that have been raised in accounting for the possibility of artistic sublimity. I argue that an experience of a genuine artistic sublimity is an uncommon occurrence. I propose that the value of contemporary art can be best explained by referring to Kant’s notion of ugliness and his theory of aesthetic ideas.

Therapeutic Self-knowledge in Narrative Art

The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 2021

Abstract:In recent years, there have been debates in aesthetics and philosophy of art on the ques... more Abstract:In recent years, there have been debates in aesthetics and philosophy of art on the question of whether we can acquire knowledge about the world from works of art. However, little has been written on the effects that art has on cultivating self-knowledge and self-development. While, for most of us, it seems obvious that art has these effects, little is known about how and why these effects occur. Addressing this issue is the main aim of this paper. The gist of the argument is that narrative art provides a unique opportunity to adopt a dual (first- and third-personal) perspective on the self, which is argued recently by psychologists and philosophers of mind to be necessary for obtaining the kind of self-knowledge that leads to self-development and self-change, that is, therapeutic self-knowledge.

Immanuel Kant and the Emancipation of the Image

The Palgrave Handbook of Image Studies, 2021

Reflective and Non-reflective Aesthetic Ideas in Kant’s Theory of Art

The British Journal of Aesthetics, 2020

The aim of this paper is to resolve some of the inconsistencies within Kant’s theory of aesthetic... more The aim of this paper is to resolve some of the inconsistencies within Kant’s theory of aesthetic ideas that have been left unaddressed by previous interpretations. Specifically, Kant’s text appears to be imbued with the following two tensions. First, there appears to be a conflict between his commitment to the view that mere sensations cannot function as vehicles for the communication of aesthetic ideas and his claim that musical tones, on account of being mere sensations, can express aesthetic ideas. Second, his description of musical form as consisting of a play of aesthetic ideas that leave behind no thoughts appears to be incongruous with his formulation of aesthetic ideas as free imaginative representations that contain a wealth of thoughts and meanings. If what it means to express aesthetic ideas is precisely to stimulate much thinking, then how can an object exist that expresses aesthetic ideas, but without leaving any thoughts behind? I attempt to resolve these two perceive...

Cognitive Interpretation of Kant’s Theory of Aesthetic Ideas

Estetika: The European Journal of Aesthetics, 2019

The aim of my paper is to argue that Kant's aesthetic ideas can help us to overcome cognitive lim... more The aim of my paper is to argue that Kant's aesthetic ideas can help us to overcome cognitive limitations that we often experience in our attempts to articulate the meaning of abstract concepts. I claim that aesthetic ideas, as expressed in works of art, have a cognitive dimension in that they reveal the introspective, emotional,

Aesthetic of Ugliness: a Kantian Perspective

In the history of aesthetic thought, beauty has been construed as aesthetic value par excellence.... more In the history of aesthetic thought, beauty has been construed as aesthetic value par excellence. According to aesthetic theories, beautiful is that which gives rise to the feeling of pleasure within us. Hence, aesthetic value of both nature and art works is measured in terms of the feeling of pleasure they occasion in us. Ugliness, correlated to the feeling of displeasure, on the other hand, has been traditionally theorized as an aesthetic category that stands in opposition to beauty, and therefore associated with aesthetic disvalue and worthlessness. In recent years, and particularly with the development of modern art, this traditional aesthetic picture has been widely criticized. It has been pointed out, based on the proliferation of art works that evoke intense feelings of displeasure, that ugliness can be greatly appreciated. A general objective of this paper is to propose an account of ugliness that entails, as its necessary part, the explanation of its possible appeal. In particular, I propose a solution to the problem, known in philosophical aesthetics as 'the paradox of ugliness', namely how we can value something that we prima facie do not like and find positively displeasing. I develop my explanation of ugliness in light of Kant's theory of taste.

Kant and the Problem of Pure Judgments of Ugliness

“Disgust and Ugliness: a Kantian Perspective,”

Contemporary discussions of the problem of ugliness in Kant's aesthetic theory have, to my kn... more Contemporary discussions of the problem of ugliness in Kant's aesthetic theory have, to my knowledge, left unexplored the relation of disgust to ugliness. At most, they have explained away disgust as merely an extreme form of ugliness or displeasure, as Guyer did in his interpretation of ugliness in Kant's aesthetic theory,[1] and by that strayed from the phenomenological and conceptual uniqueness of disgust in comparison to ugliness, while Kant, as I argue, did not. As a matter of fact, careful investigation of the concept of disgust in Kant's writing will reveal the distinctive and multifaceted character that he ascribed to this phenomenon. By examining Kant's treatment of disgust in comparison with more comprehensive contemporary studies given by phenomenologist Aurel Kolnai, psychologist Paul Rozin, and the social study of William Ian Miller, I will address the ways in which disgust can penetrate artistic representation without subverting it and, more closely, interrogate the role of disgust in contemporary art. Furthermore, within Kant's aesthetic framework, I will suggest a theoretical difference between disgust and the concept of aesthetic ugliness.

Guyer’s Interpretation of Free Harmony in Kant

postgraduate journal of aesthetics, 2013

The reconciliation of Kant’s account of the role of imagination and understanding in ordinary cog... more The reconciliation of Kant’s account of the role of imagination and understanding in ordinary cognition with their role in judgments of taste is the main subject of the contemporary debate on Kant’s aesthetics. It is not surprising that it has resulted in a variety of different interpretations. Paul Guyer classified these interpretations into three main classes, that is, precognitive, multicognitive and metacognitive interpretations, where the latter is defended by Guyer. While the difficulties with the first two approaches have been already tackled by himself, my aim in the following paper is to point out main difficulties with Guyer’s own metacognitive approach. I argue that Guyer's metacognitive interpretation is insuficient to explain the notion of free harmony in Kant's aesthetics.

Beauty, Ugliness and the Free Play of Imagination

Studies in German Idealism, 2015

Chapter 1 Introduction.- Chapter 2 Judgments of Taste and Analysis of the Problem of Ugliness in ... more Chapter 1 Introduction.- Chapter 2 Judgments of Taste and Analysis of the Problem of Ugliness in Kant's Aesthetics.- Chapter 3 The Concept of Freedom in the Play of Imagination and Understanding.- Chapter 4 A Positive Account of the Concept of Free Play.- Chapter 5 The Explanation of Ugliness in Kant's Aesthetics.- Chapter 6 The Notion of Disgust in Comparison to Ugliness: A Kantian Perspective.- Bibliography.

The Sublime, Ugliness and Contemporary Art: A Kantian Perspective

Con-textos Kantianos: International Journal of Philosophy, 2015

The aim of this paper is twofold. First, to explain the distinction between Kant’s notions of the... more The aim of this paper is twofold. First, to explain the distinction between Kant’s notions of the sublime and ugliness, and to answer an important question that has been left unnoticed in contemporary studies, namely why it is the case that even though both sublime and ugliness are contrapurposive for the power of judgment, occasioning the feeling of displeasure, yet that after all we should feel pleasure in the former, while not in the latter. Second, to apply my interpretation of the sublime and ugliness to contemporary art, and to resolve certain issues that have been raised in accounting for the possibility of artistic sublimity. I argue that an experience of a genuine artistic sublimity is an uncommon occurrence. I propose that the value of contemporary art can be best explained by referring to Kant’s notion of ugliness and his theory of aesthetic ideas.

Therapeutic Self-knowledge in Narrative Art

Journal of Aesthetic Education, 2020

In recent years, there have been common debates in aesthetics and philosophy of art on the questi... more In recent years, there have been common debates in aesthetics and philosophy of art on the question whether we can acquire knowledge about the world from works of art. However, little has been written on the effects that art has on cultivating self-knowledge and self-development. While for most of us it seems obvious that art has these effects, little is known about how and why these effects occur. Addressing this issue is the main aim of this paper. The gist of the argument is that narrative art gives us a unique opportunity to adopt a dual (first and third-personal) perspective on the self, which is argued recently by psychologists and philosophers of mind to be necessary for obtaining the kind of self-knowledge that leads to self-development and self-change, i.e. therapeutic self-knowledge.

Is There a Possibility of an Ugly Aesthetic Idea in Kant's Aesthetics?

Proceedings of the 12. International Kant Congress Nature and Freedom, ed Violetta L. Waibel and Margit Ruffing, Berlin: Walter De Gruyter, 2018 (in print), 2018

In Kant’s aesthetic theory, the association of ugliness with aesthetic ideas is not immediately a... more In Kant’s aesthetic theory, the association of ugliness with aesthetic ideas is not immediately apparent. Even more, it has been argued by most of Kant’s commentators that ugliness cannot express aesthetic ideas.¹ In short, they claim that accordance with taste (i.e. free harmony between imagination and understanding) is a necessary condition for an aesthetic idea to be expressed in a way that makes sense to others. But if production of aesthetic ideas must be restrained by taste in order to have meaning and if ugliness consists in a disharmony between imagination and understanding (i.e. discordance with taste), then it follows that ugliness must essentially be nonsensical. My aim in this paper is to propose a different interpretation of the relation between Kant’s notions of aesthetic ideas and taste such that it can accommodate an ugly aesthetic idea into the overall aesthetic picture. I will argue that even though ugliness does not conform to taste it is nevertheless related to taste and thus it remains consistent with Kant’s view that taste is required for the communication of aesthetic ideas.

Kant's Theory of Laughter

In this paper I offer an alternative interpretation of Immanuel Kant’s theory of laughter that ca... more In this paper I offer an alternative interpretation of Immanuel Kant’s theory of laughter that can meet the challenges left behind by the interpretations that have so far been given. I argue that laughter is a reaction to the dissolution of nonsense, which takes the form of realizing our own misconceptions about the object. Laughter reveals something about our cognitive and rational system: namely, that it is insufficient to explain all of our experiences and perceptions of the world and that we often need to revise our expectations in order to make sense of the world. In this respect, laughter stands in a direct opposition to Kant’s notion of the sublime

Narrative Art as a Route to Self-Knowledge and Self-Development

Debates about whether works of art can serve as a source of knowledge about the world or whether ... more Debates about whether works of art can serve as a source of knowledge about the world or whether they can promote other-understanding have been common in contemporary aesthetics and philosophy of art. However, little has been written on the effects that art has on cultivating self-knowledge and self-development. While for most of us it seems obvious that art has these effects, little is known about how and why these effects occur. Addressing this issue is the main aim of the present paper. The gist of the argument is that narrative art, understood as a mental simulation gives us a unique opportunity to adopt a dual (first and third) perspective on the self, which is argued recently by psychologists and philosophers of mind to be necessary for obtaining the kind of self-knowledge that leads to self-change.

Is There a Possibility of an Ugly Aesthetic Idea in Kant’s Aesthetics?

Natur und Freiheit, 2018

In Kant’s aesthetic theory, the association of ugliness with aesthetic ideas is not immediately a... more In Kant’s aesthetic theory, the association of ugliness with aesthetic ideas is not immediately apparent. Even more, it has been argued by most of Kant’s commentators that ugliness cannot express aesthetic ideas.¹ In short, they claim that accordance with taste (i.e. free harmony between imagination and understanding) is a necessary condition for an aesthetic idea to be expressed in a way that makes sense to others. But if production of aesthetic ideas must be restrained by taste in order to have meaning and if ugliness consists in a disharmony between imagination and understanding (i.e. discordance with taste), then it follows that ugliness must essentially be nonsensical. My aim in this paper is to propose a different interpretation of the relation between Kant’s notions of aesthetic ideas and taste such that it can accommodate an ugly aesthetic idea into the overall aesthetic picture. I will argue that even though ugliness does not conform to taste it is nevertheless related to taste and thus it remains consistent with Kant’s view that taste is required for the communication of aesthetic ideas.

Cognitive Function of Beauty and Ugliness in Light of Kant’s Theory of Aesthetic Ideas

Beyond Words

Aesthetic representation of purposiveness and the concept of beauty in Kant’s aesthetics. The solution of the ‘everything is beautiful’ problem

Philosophical Inquiries, 2016

In the Critique of the Power of Judgment , Kant introduces the notion of the reflective judgment ... more In the Critique of the Power of Judgment , Kant introduces the notion of the reflective judgment and the a priori principle of purposiveness or systematicity of nature. He claims that the ability to judge objects by means of this principle underlies empirical concept acquisition and it is therefore necessary for cognition in general. In addition, he suggests that there is a connection between this principle and judgments of taste. Kant’s account of this connection has been criticized by several commentators for the reason that it leads to the ‘everythingisbeautiful’ problem. In this paper I argue, contrary to these objections, that both finding an object beautiful and acquiring the concept represent the satisfaction of the same principle of nature’s purposiveness, which refers to the same cognitive need we have, that is, to systematize experience. I avoid the ‘everything is beautiful’ problem by arguing that aesthetic reflection refers to the synthesis of object’s individual and dis...

Aesthetic Comprehension of Abstract and Emotion Concepts: Kant’s Aesthetics Renewed

In § 49 of the Critique of the Power of Judgment Kant puts forward a view that the feeling of ple... more In § 49 of the Critique of the Power of Judgment Kant puts forward a view that the feeling of pleasure in the experience of the beautiful can be stimulated not merely by perceptual properties, but by ideas and thoughts as well. The aim of this paper is to argue that aesthetic ideas fill in the emptiness that abstract and emotion concepts on their own would have without empirical intuitions. That is, aesthetic ideas make these concepts more accessible to us, by creating image schemas that allow us to think about these abstract concepts in a way linked to sensory experience, thereby imbuing them with a more substantive meaning and understanding.

Webmaster Disgust and Ugliness : a Kantian Perspective

Contemporary discussions of the problem of ugliness in Kant’s aesthetic theory have, to my knowle... more Contemporary discussions of the problem of ugliness in Kant’s aesthetic theory have, to my knowledge, left unexplored the relation of disgust to ugliness. At most, they have explained away disgust as merely an extreme form of ugliness or displeasure, as Guyer did in his interpretation of ugliness in Kant’s aesthetic theory,[1] and by that strayed from the phenomenological and conceptual uniqueness of disgust in comparison to ugliness, while Kant, as I argue, did not. As a matter of fact, careful investigation of the concept of disgust in Kant’s writing will reveal the distinctive and multifaceted character that he ascribed to this phenomenon. By examining Kant’s treatment of disgust in comparison with more comprehensive contemporary studies given by phenomenologist Aurel Kolnai, psychologist Paul Rozin, and the social study of William Ian Miller, I will address the ways in which disgust can penetrate artistic representation without subverting it and, more closely, interrogate the ro...

Lo sublime, la fealdad y el arte contemporáneo: una perspectiva kantiana

The aim of this paper is twofold. First , to explain the distinction between Kant’s notions of th... more The aim of this paper is twofold. First , to explain the distinction between Kant’s notions of the sublime and ugliness, and to answer an important question that has been left unnoticed in contemporary studies, namely why it is the case that even though both sublime and ugliness are contrapurposive for the power of judgment, occasioning the feeling of displeasure, yet that after all we should feel pleasure in the former, while not in the latter. Second, to apply my interpretation of the sublime and ugliness to contemporary art, and to resolve certain issues that have been raised in accounting for the possibility of artistic sublimity. I argue that an experience of a genuine artistic sublimity is an uncommon occurrence. I propose that the value of contemporary art can be best explained by referring to Kant’s notion of ugliness and his theory of aesthetic ideas.

Therapeutic Self-knowledge in Narrative Art

The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 2021

Abstract:In recent years, there have been debates in aesthetics and philosophy of art on the ques... more Abstract:In recent years, there have been debates in aesthetics and philosophy of art on the question of whether we can acquire knowledge about the world from works of art. However, little has been written on the effects that art has on cultivating self-knowledge and self-development. While, for most of us, it seems obvious that art has these effects, little is known about how and why these effects occur. Addressing this issue is the main aim of this paper. The gist of the argument is that narrative art provides a unique opportunity to adopt a dual (first- and third-personal) perspective on the self, which is argued recently by psychologists and philosophers of mind to be necessary for obtaining the kind of self-knowledge that leads to self-development and self-change, that is, therapeutic self-knowledge.

Immanuel Kant and the Emancipation of the Image

The Palgrave Handbook of Image Studies, 2021

Reflective and Non-reflective Aesthetic Ideas in Kant’s Theory of Art

The British Journal of Aesthetics, 2020

The aim of this paper is to resolve some of the inconsistencies within Kant’s theory of aesthetic... more The aim of this paper is to resolve some of the inconsistencies within Kant’s theory of aesthetic ideas that have been left unaddressed by previous interpretations. Specifically, Kant’s text appears to be imbued with the following two tensions. First, there appears to be a conflict between his commitment to the view that mere sensations cannot function as vehicles for the communication of aesthetic ideas and his claim that musical tones, on account of being mere sensations, can express aesthetic ideas. Second, his description of musical form as consisting of a play of aesthetic ideas that leave behind no thoughts appears to be incongruous with his formulation of aesthetic ideas as free imaginative representations that contain a wealth of thoughts and meanings. If what it means to express aesthetic ideas is precisely to stimulate much thinking, then how can an object exist that expresses aesthetic ideas, but without leaving any thoughts behind? I attempt to resolve these two perceive...

Cognitive Interpretation of Kant’s Theory of Aesthetic Ideas

Estetika: The European Journal of Aesthetics, 2019

The aim of my paper is to argue that Kant's aesthetic ideas can help us to overcome cognitive lim... more The aim of my paper is to argue that Kant's aesthetic ideas can help us to overcome cognitive limitations that we often experience in our attempts to articulate the meaning of abstract concepts. I claim that aesthetic ideas, as expressed in works of art, have a cognitive dimension in that they reveal the introspective, emotional,

Aesthetic of Ugliness: a Kantian Perspective

In the history of aesthetic thought, beauty has been construed as aesthetic value par excellence.... more In the history of aesthetic thought, beauty has been construed as aesthetic value par excellence. According to aesthetic theories, beautiful is that which gives rise to the feeling of pleasure within us. Hence, aesthetic value of both nature and art works is measured in terms of the feeling of pleasure they occasion in us. Ugliness, correlated to the feeling of displeasure, on the other hand, has been traditionally theorized as an aesthetic category that stands in opposition to beauty, and therefore associated with aesthetic disvalue and worthlessness. In recent years, and particularly with the development of modern art, this traditional aesthetic picture has been widely criticized. It has been pointed out, based on the proliferation of art works that evoke intense feelings of displeasure, that ugliness can be greatly appreciated. A general objective of this paper is to propose an account of ugliness that entails, as its necessary part, the explanation of its possible appeal. In particular, I propose a solution to the problem, known in philosophical aesthetics as 'the paradox of ugliness', namely how we can value something that we prima facie do not like and find positively displeasing. I develop my explanation of ugliness in light of Kant's theory of taste.

Kant and the Problem of Pure Judgments of Ugliness

“Disgust and Ugliness: a Kantian Perspective,”

Contemporary discussions of the problem of ugliness in Kant's aesthetic theory have, to my kn... more Contemporary discussions of the problem of ugliness in Kant's aesthetic theory have, to my knowledge, left unexplored the relation of disgust to ugliness. At most, they have explained away disgust as merely an extreme form of ugliness or displeasure, as Guyer did in his interpretation of ugliness in Kant's aesthetic theory,[1] and by that strayed from the phenomenological and conceptual uniqueness of disgust in comparison to ugliness, while Kant, as I argue, did not. As a matter of fact, careful investigation of the concept of disgust in Kant's writing will reveal the distinctive and multifaceted character that he ascribed to this phenomenon. By examining Kant's treatment of disgust in comparison with more comprehensive contemporary studies given by phenomenologist Aurel Kolnai, psychologist Paul Rozin, and the social study of William Ian Miller, I will address the ways in which disgust can penetrate artistic representation without subverting it and, more closely, interrogate the role of disgust in contemporary art. Furthermore, within Kant's aesthetic framework, I will suggest a theoretical difference between disgust and the concept of aesthetic ugliness.

Guyer’s Interpretation of Free Harmony in Kant

postgraduate journal of aesthetics, 2013

The reconciliation of Kant’s account of the role of imagination and understanding in ordinary cog... more The reconciliation of Kant’s account of the role of imagination and understanding in ordinary cognition with their role in judgments of taste is the main subject of the contemporary debate on Kant’s aesthetics. It is not surprising that it has resulted in a variety of different interpretations. Paul Guyer classified these interpretations into three main classes, that is, precognitive, multicognitive and metacognitive interpretations, where the latter is defended by Guyer. While the difficulties with the first two approaches have been already tackled by himself, my aim in the following paper is to point out main difficulties with Guyer’s own metacognitive approach. I argue that Guyer's metacognitive interpretation is insuficient to explain the notion of free harmony in Kant's aesthetics.

Beauty, Ugliness and the Free Play of Imagination

Studies in German Idealism, 2015

Chapter 1 Introduction.- Chapter 2 Judgments of Taste and Analysis of the Problem of Ugliness in ... more Chapter 1 Introduction.- Chapter 2 Judgments of Taste and Analysis of the Problem of Ugliness in Kant's Aesthetics.- Chapter 3 The Concept of Freedom in the Play of Imagination and Understanding.- Chapter 4 A Positive Account of the Concept of Free Play.- Chapter 5 The Explanation of Ugliness in Kant's Aesthetics.- Chapter 6 The Notion of Disgust in Comparison to Ugliness: A Kantian Perspective.- Bibliography.

The Sublime, Ugliness and Contemporary Art: A Kantian Perspective

Con-textos Kantianos: International Journal of Philosophy, 2015

The aim of this paper is twofold. First, to explain the distinction between Kant’s notions of the... more The aim of this paper is twofold. First, to explain the distinction between Kant’s notions of the sublime and ugliness, and to answer an important question that has been left unnoticed in contemporary studies, namely why it is the case that even though both sublime and ugliness are contrapurposive for the power of judgment, occasioning the feeling of displeasure, yet that after all we should feel pleasure in the former, while not in the latter. Second, to apply my interpretation of the sublime and ugliness to contemporary art, and to resolve certain issues that have been raised in accounting for the possibility of artistic sublimity. I argue that an experience of a genuine artistic sublimity is an uncommon occurrence. I propose that the value of contemporary art can be best explained by referring to Kant’s notion of ugliness and his theory of aesthetic ideas.

Love for Natural Beauty as a Mark of a Good Soul: Kant on the Relation between Aesthetics and Morality

Cognitive Function of Beauty and Ugliness in Light of Kant's Theory of Aesthetic Ideas Cognitive Function of Beauty and Ugliness in Kant's Aesthetics

Kant's Aesthetic Cognitivism On the Value of Art

Bloomsbury Academic,, 2023

Mojca Kuplen connects 18th-century German aesthetics to contemporary theories of self-knowledge i... more Mojca Kuplen connects 18th-century German aesthetics to contemporary theories of self-knowledge in order to highlight the unique cognitive value of art. She does this through revisiting Kant's account of aesthetic ideas, and demonstrating how works of art can increase our understanding of abstract concepts whilst promoting self-knowledge.

Addressing some of the most fundamental questions in contemporary aesthetics and philosophy of art, this study covers the value and importance of art, the relationship between art and beauty, the role of knowledge in art and the criteria for artistic excellence. It offers an insight into problems related to the apprehension of meaning and the cognitive processing of abstract representations that have been of interest to contemporary cognitive science. Kant's Aesthetic Cognitivism presents these arguments in a lucid and wide-ranging engagement with the history of aesthetics and current academic debates to understand what art is and why it is valuable.

Beauty, Ugliness and the Free Play of Imagination: An Approach to Kant’s Aesthetics