A History of Six Ideas: An Essay in Aesthetics

ISBN-13: 9789400988071 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 400 str.

W. Tatarkiewicz

Opis

The history of aesthetics, like the histories of other sciences, may be treated in a two-fold manner: as the history of the men who created the field of study, or as the history of the questions that have been raised and resolved in the course of its pursuit. The earlier History of Aesthetics (3 volumes, 1960-68, English-language edition 1970-74) by the author of the present book was a history of men, of writers and artists who in centuries past have spoken up concerning beauty and art, form and crea tivity. The present book returns to the same subject, but treats it in a different way: as the history of aesthetic questions, concepts, theories. The matter of the two books, the previous and the present, is in part the same; but only in part: for the earlier book ended with the 17th century, while the present one brings the subject up to our own times. And from the 18th century to the 20th much happened in aesthetics; it was only in that period that aesthetics achieved recognition as a separate science, received a name of its own, and produced theories that early scholars and artists had never dreamed of."

Spis treści

one. Art: History of the concept.- I. The early concept of art.- II. The transformation in modern times.- III. The fine arts.- IV. New disputes over the scope of art.- V. Disputes over the concept of art.- VI. Renunciation of definition.- VII. An alternative definition.- VIII. Definition and theories.- IX. The present.- two. Art: History of classification.- I. Division of all the arts (Antiquity).- II. Division of the liberal and mechanical arts (Middle Ages).- III. Search for a new division (Renaissance).- IV. Division of the arts into fine and mechanical (The Enlightenment).- V. Division of the fine arts (Recent times).- three. Art: History of the relation of art to poetry.- I. Our concepts of art and Greek concepts.- II. The concept of art.- III. The concept of poetry.- IV. The concept of beauty.- V. The concept of creativity.- VI. Apate, Ratharsis, mimesis.- VII. Plato: Two kinds of poetry.- VIII. Aristotle: First approximation of poetry to art.- IX. Hellenism: Second approximation of poetry to art.- X. The Middle Ages: Renewed separation of poetry and art.- XI. Modern times: Final approximation of poetry to art.- XII. New separation of poetry and painting.- four. Beauty: History of the concept.- I. The evolution of the concept.- II. The Great Theory.- III. Supplementary theses.- IV. Reservations.- V. Other theories.- VI. Crisis of the Great Theory.- VII. Other eighteenth-century theories.- VIII. After the crisis.- IX. Second crisis.- X. In conclusion.- five. Beauty: History of the category.- I. The varieties of beauty.- II. Aptness.- III. Ornament.- IV. Comeliness.- V. Grace.- VI. Subtlety.- VII. Sublimity.- VIII. A dual beauty.- IX. Orders and styles.- X. Classical beauty.- XI. Romantic beauty.- six. Beauty: the dispute between objectivism and subjectivism.- I. Antiquity.- II. Middle Ages.- III. Renaissance.- IV. Baroque.- V. The Enlightenment.- seven. Form: History of one term and five concepts.- I. History of form A.- II. History of form B.- III. History of form C.- IV. History of form D (Substantial form).- V. History of form E (A priori form).- VI. History of other forms.- VII. New concepts of form.- eight. Creativity: History of the concept.- I. Art seen without creativity.- II. History of the term.- III. History of the concept.- IV. Creatio ex nihilo.- V. Contemporary concept of creativity.- VI. Pancreationism.- VII. The artist’s creativity.- nine. Mimesis: History of the relation of art to reality.- I. History of the concept of ‘mimesis’.- II. Other theories of the past.- III. Some history of the concept of realism.- ten. Mimesis: History of the relation of art to nature and truth.- I. Art and nature.- II. Art and truth.- eleven. The aesthetic experience: History of the concept.- I. Early history.- II. Age of the Enlightenment.- III. The last hundred years.- IV. The legacy.- Conclusion.- Index of names.