Lecture Notes: Pre-Romantic Writers and the Emergence of Aesthetics

Key Figures

• Edmund Burke

  • Noted for his work on the sublime and the beautiful.
  • Introduced the idea that the sublime and the beautiful are diametrically opposed.
  • His ideas lay the foundations for modern aesthetics and challenge previous notions of beauty's connection to truth and goodness.
  • Considered a founder of modern political conservatism but also marked the beginning of a decline in the humanities by severing beauty from truth and goodness.

• Immanuel Kant

  • Responded to Burke's ideas.
  • Known for his third critique, the "Critique of Judgment," which focuses on aesthetics and is influential in continental philosophy.

Main Concepts

The Sublime vs. The Beautiful

• Sublime

  • Historically viewed as the superlative degree of beauty.
  • Burke argues the sublime and the beautiful are not degrees of the same sensation but entirely opposite.
  • The sublime is associated with terror and self-preservation.
  • Considered the most powerful emotion, often tied to fear and danger.

• Beautiful

  • Historically related to truth and goodness.
  • For Burke, beauty is about social attraction and propagation of the species.
  • Linked with feelings of power over something that submits to us, fostering a sense of security and control.

Aesthetics in Philosophy

• Emergence of Aesthetics
  • 18th century marked the formal appearance of aesthetics as a philosophical discipline, not present in Aristotle or Plato's writings.
  • Baumgarten first used the term 'aesthetics', with Greek roots emphasizing perception.

Influence and Critique

• Burke's Influence

  • His perspective influences later writers and traditions, particularly in separating aesthetics from moral and truthful considerations.
  • Utilitarianism in later philosophy reflects Burke's emphasis on sensation and empirical evidence as the basis for understanding aesthetics.

• Cultural and Theological Implications

  • Disentangles beauty from divine attributes, impacting theological discussions of God's nature.
  • Reflective in modern themes separating power from compassion, influencing theological and literary discourses.

Additional Points

• Lockean Influence

  • Burke draws from Locke's empiricism, focusing on sensation and material origins of ideas.

• Literature and Art

  • The sublime in literature often depicted through terror, darkness, and obscurity.
  • Burke's ideas have permeated into literary theory, influencing interpretations around power dynamics and aesthetics.

• Future Discussion

  • The next classes will delve deeper into Kant's response and his role in shaping aesthetic philosophy.

Conclusion

• Burke's ideas on the sublime and the beautiful have set the stage for modern aesthetic discussions, influencing fields from philosophy to literary theory and altering perceptions of beauty and morality as separate entities.