Diotima's Children: German Aesthetic Rationalism From Leibniz To Lessing University Press Scholarship Online

This Text Presents A Comprehensive Re-examination Of The Rationalist Tradition Of Aesthetics As It Prevailed In Germany In The Late 17th And Early 18th Centuries. This Tradition Is Of The Greatest Historical Importance Because It Gave Birth To Modern Aesthetics, Art Criticism, And Art History. Reappraising Aesthetic Rationalism -- A Glorious Relic? -- Theory Of Aesthetic Judgment -- The Rationalist Aesthetic -- The Meaning Of Rules -- Kant's Paltry Polemic -- Diotima Versus Dionysus -- The Challenge Of Irrationalism -- Gadamer And The Rationalist Tradition -- Leibniz And The Roots Of Aesthetic Rationalism -- The Grandfather's Strange Case -- Theory Of Beauty -- Analysis Of Sense -- The Classical Trinity -- Wolff And The Birth Of Aesthetic Rationalism -- Wolff And The Aesthetic Tradition -- Theory Of The Arts -- Psychology -- Theory Of Beauty -- Foundations Of Neo-classicism -- Gottsched And The High Noon Of Rationalism -- Herr Professor Gottsched's Peruke -- The Importance Of Taste -- Defense Of Tragedy -- Theory Of Taste -- Poetics -- The Rules -- Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde -- The Poets' War -- Leipzig Versus Zurich -- Misreadings Of The Dispute -- The Point In Dispute -- Baumgarten's Science Of Aesthetics -- The Father Of Aesthetics -- A Philosophical Poetics -- A Science Of Beauty -- Theory Of Sensation -- Analysis Of Beauty -- Status Of Aesthetics -- An Ambiguous Legacy -- Winckelmann And Neo-classicism -- Winckelmann As Philosopher -- Historical Influence -- Imitating The Ancients -- A Neo-classical Aesthetic -- Ancients Versus Moderns -- Aesthetic Theory -- Painting And Allegory -- Eros And Dionysus -- Mendelssohn's Defense Of Reason -- The Guardian Of Enlightenment -- The Analysis Of Sensation -- The Grin Of Silenus -- Second Thoughts -- Taming The Sublime -- Reckoning With Burke -- Encounter With Jean-jacques -- The Claims Of Genius -- First Clash With Hamann -- Abelard And Fulbert's Brief Spat -- The Three-faculty Theory -- Lessing And The Reformation Of Aesthetic Rationalism -- Lessing And The Rationalist Tradition -- Genius And Rules -- The Irrationality Of Genius -- Rationalism And Sentimentalism In Lessing's Ethics -- Laokoon : Thesis And Inductive Argument -- Laokoon : The Deductive Argument -- Laokoon : Its Hidden Agenda. Frederick C. Beiser. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents......Page 9 1. A Glorious Relic?......Page 12 2. Theory of Aesthetic Judgment......Page 15 3. The Rationalist Aesthetic......Page 20 4. The Meaning of Rules......Page 23 5. Kant’s Paltry Polemic......Page 27 6. Diotima versus Dionysus......Page 31 7. The Challenge of Irrationalism......Page 34 8. Gadamer and the Rationalist Tradition......Page 38 1. The Grandfather’s Strange Case......Page 42 2. Theory of Beauty......Page 46 3. Analysis of Sense......Page 48 4. The Classical Trinity......Page 52 1. Wolff and the Aesthetic Tradition......Page 56 2. Theory of the Arts......Page 61 3. Psychology......Page 67 4. Theory of Beauty......Page 71 5. Foundations of Neo-Classicism......Page 75 1. Herr Professor Gottsched’s Peruke......Page 83 2. The Importance of Taste......Page 87 3. Defense of Tragedy......Page 91 4. Theory of Taste......Page 94 5. Poetics......Page 98 6. The Rules......Page 104 7. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde......Page 107 1. Leipzig versus Zurich......Page 112 2. Misreadings of the Dispute......Page 116 3. The Point in Dispute......Page 123 1. The Father of Aesthetics?......Page 129 2. A Philosophical Poetics......Page 134 3. A Science of Beauty......Page 144 4. Theory of Sensation......Page 149 5. Analysis of Beauty......Page 154 6. Status of Aesthetics......Page 160 7. An Ambiguous Legacy......Page 163 1. Winckelmann as Philosopher......Page 167 2. Historical Influence......Page 171 3. Imitating the Ancients......Page 174 4. A Neo-Classical Aesthetic......Page 182 5. Ancients versus Moderns......Page 186 6. Aesthetic Theory......Page 192 7. Painting and Allegory......Page 198 8. Eros and Dionysus......Page 202 1. The Guardian of Enlightenment......Page 207 2. The Analysis of Sensation......Page 210 3. The Grin of Silenus......Page 217 4. Second Thoughts......Page 222 5. Taming the Sublime......Page 228 6. Reckoning with Burke......Page 232 7. Encounter with Jean-Jacques......Page 235 8. The Claims of Genius......Page 241 9. First Clash with Hamann......Page 244 10. Abelard and Fulbert’s Brief Spat......Page 246 11. The Three-Faculty Theory......Page 251 1. Lessing and the Rationalist Tradition......Page 255 2. Genius and Rules......Page 258 3. The Irrationality of Genius?......Page 265 4. Rationalism and Sentimentalism in Lessing’s Ethics......Page 270 5. Laokoon: Thesis and Inductive Argument......Page 277 6. Laokoon: The Deductive Argument......Page 285 7. Laokoon: Its Hidden Agenda......Page 288 Bibliography......Page 294 G......Page 304 M......Page 305 W......Page 306 Contents 9 Introduction: Reappraising Aesthetic Rationalism 12 1. A Glorious Relic? 12 2. Theory of Aesthetic Judgment 15 3. The Rationalist Aesthetic 20 4. The Meaning of Rules 23 5. Kant’s Paltry Polemic 27 6. Diotima versus Dionysus 31 7. The Challenge of Irrationalism 34 8. Gadamer and the Rationalist Tradition 38 Chapter 1: Leibniz and the Roots of Aesthetic Rationalism 42 1. The Grandfather’s Strange Case 42 2. Theory of Beauty 46 3. Analysis of Sense 48 4. The Classical Trinity 52 Chapter 2: Wolff and the Birth of Aesthetic Rationalism 56 1. Wolff and the Aesthetic Tradition 56 2. Theory of the Arts 61 3. Psychology 67 4. Theory of Beauty 71 5. Foundations of Neo-Classicism 75 Chapter 3: Gottsched and the High Noon of Rationalism 83 1. Herr Professor Gottsched’s Peruke 83 2. The Importance of Taste 87 3. Defense of Tragedy 91 4. Theory of Taste 94 5. Poetics 98 6. The Rules 104 7. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 107 Chapter 4: The Poets’ War 112 1. Leipzig versus Zurich 112 2. Misreadings of the Dispute 116 3. The Point in Dispute 123 Chapter 5: Baumgarten’s Science of Aesthetics 129 1. The Father of Aesthetics? 129 2. A Philosophical Poetics 134 3. A Science of Beauty 144 4. Theory of Sensation 149 5. Analysis of Beauty 154 6. Status of Aesthetics 160 7. An Ambiguous Legacy 163 Chapter 6: Winckelmann and Neo-Classicism 167 1. Winckelmann as Philosopher 167 2. Historical Influence 171 3. Imitating the Ancients 174 4. A Neo-Classical Aesthetic 182 5. Ancients versus Moderns 186 6. Aesthetic Theory 192 7. Painting and Allegory 198 8. Eros and Dionysus 202 Chapter 7: Mendelssohn’s Defense of Reason 207 1. The Guardian of Enlightenment 207 2. The Analysis of Sensation 210 3. The Grin of Silenus 217 4. Second Thoughts 222 5. Taming the Sublime 228 6. Reckoning with Burke 232 7. Encounter with Jean-Jacques 235 8. The Claims of Genius 241 9. First Clash with Hamann 244 10. Abelard and Fulbert’s Brief Spat 246 11. The Three-Faculty Theory 251 Chapter 8: Lessing and the Reformation of Aesthetic Rationalism 255 1. Lessing and the Rationalist Tradition 255 2. Genius and Rules 258 3. The Irrationality of Genius? 265 4. Rationalism and Sentimentalism in Lessing’s Ethics 270 5. Laokoon: Thesis and Inductive Argument 277 6. Laokoon: The Deductive Argument 285 7. Laokoon: Its Hidden Agenda 288 Bibliography 294 Index 304 A 304 B 304 C 304 D 304 E 304 F 304 G 304 H 305 I 305 J 305 K 305 L 305 M 305 N 306 P 306 R 306 S 306 T 306 W 306
Diotima's Children is a re-examination of the rationalist tradition of aesthetics which prevailed in Germany in the late seventeenth and eighteenth century. It is partly an historical survey of the central figures and themes of this tradition But it is also a philosophical defense of some of its leading ideas, viz., that beauty plays an integral role in life, that aesthetic pleasure is the perception of perfection, that aesthetic rules are inevitable and valuable. It shows that the criticisms of Kant and Nietzsche of this tradition are largely unfounded. The rationalist tradition deserves re-examination because it is of great historical significance, marking the beginning of modern aesthetics, art criticism, and art history.