Aesthetic Judgment
Rationalism, Empiricism, Kant
EMPIRICISM
Perception of Common sources of
beauty in diverse
Beauty is object – aesthetic
immediate properties
• There two sources of beauty – in object and in audience
• Aesthetic Judgments are immediate, necessary and sensible (NOT
rational)
• Immediacy - We are struck by beauty. We do not discover beauty.
• Necessity – Idea of Beauty arises independently of the operation of
individual will
• The sensing of beauty is internal – it depends on perception of
antecedent ideas
• Arguments in support of internality –
1. Some people have fully functioning five external sense yet they are
incapable to sense beauty
2. Not all objects of Beauty are objects of external senses.
Francis Hutcheson
(An Inquiry Concerning Beauty, Order,
Harmony, Design – 1725) Uniformity
amid variety Internal Sense
• Definition of Art – X is a work of art if it is created with an
intention of and has the capacity to engender aesthetic
experience in the mind of the audience.
• Nature of Aesthetic Experience – Content-Oriented Theory -
Aesthetic Experience consists of identifying aesthetic
properties of an object at hand which leads to the sentiments
of pleasure or displeasure.
• Aesthetic Object – a) Natural Objects – They are readily
available to us for aesthetic experience of pleasure b) Art
objects – They are abstract aesthetic object – Not readily
Empiricism available to senses – Reason’s mediation is necessary for
Sentimentalism identifying all the components of the aesthetic object
Immediate
Sensing of
Pleasure
Inspiration behind the
painting – Munch’s
personal experience Tradition of
Bouncy, Modern Art
animated
property
Proper sentiment
of existential
angst in the mind
of audience
Physical
Painting
Art nouveau
style
Components of the work of art as aesthetic object
• Nature of Art – essentially rooted in socio-cultural context in which it is
created – both artist and audience is situated in specific historical context
• Value of Art- Art is valuable because it generates a specific kind of pleasure
in the mind of audience.
• The pleasure is not driven my self-interest. It is the disinterested pleasure
that is enjoyed for its own sake. Therefore, pleasure generated as part of
aesthetic experience is the locus of aesthetic value. In case of natural object
the pleasure is immediately felt. In case of art the pleasure is immediately
felt once the aesthetic object is grasped.
• Aesthetic Judgment – judgments based on pleasure felt once aesthetic
object is grasped. It is subjective and evaluative. Reason’s role is limited to
Empiricism the grasping of an aesthetic object.
Sentimentalism • Two people can disagree on the truth of aesthetic judgment since it is based
on sentiments. There is nothing outside that corresponds to idea of beauty.
True or False on account of presence or absence of pleasure.
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
• Critique of the Power of Judgment (1790) –
foundation to modern Philosophical Aesthetics –
Critical examination of faculty of feeling pleasure
• Sophisticated Objectivism – a priori principles of
judgment of taste – formal properties of the
judgment
• Subjective, implied universality – disinterested
pleasure – formal purposiveness – ‘Common’ Sense
Van Gogh’s Last Painting
Person A Person B Person C
• Contemplating color • Feels angst • Talks about Van Gogh’s style
combination • Gets disturbed by knowing • His contribution to post-
• Focused on design, form it was the last painting by impressionism
• Focus on how different Van Gogh before he • How psychological disorders
colors merge into one committed suicide are linked to artistic creativity
another • Feels urge to do the same
