1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910483097803321

Autore

Küplen Mojca

Titolo

Beauty, Ugliness and the Free Play of Imagination : An Approach to Kant's Aesthetics / / by Mojca Küplen

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cham : , : Springer International Publishing : , : Imprint : Springer, , 2015

ISBN

3-319-19899-8

Edizione

[1st ed. 2015.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (159 p.)

Collana

Studies in German Idealism, , 2542-9868 ; ; 17

Disciplina

111.85092

Soggetti

Aesthetics

History, Ancient

Philosophy, Ancient

Classical Studies

Ancient Philosophy / Classical Philosophy

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references.

Nota di contenuto

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.

Sommario/riassunto

This book presents a solution to the problem known in philosophical aesthetics as the paradox of ugliness, namely, how an object that is displeasing can retain our attention and be greatly appreciated. It does this  by exploring and refining the most sophisticated and thoroughly worked out theoretical framework of philosophical aesthetics, Kant’s theory of taste, which was put forward in part one of the Critique of the Power of Judgment. The book explores the possibility of incorporating ugliness, a negative aesthetic concept, into the overall Kantian aesthetic picture. It addresses a debate of the last two decades over whether Kant's aesthetics should allow for a pure aesthetic judgment of ugliness. The book critically reviews the main interpretations of Kant’s



central notion of the free play of imagination and understanding, and offers a new interpretation of free play, one that allows for the possibility of a disharmonious state of mind and ugliness. In addition, the book also applies an interpretation of ugliness in Kant’s aesthetics to resolve certain issues that have been raised in contemporary aesthetics, namely the possibility of appreciating artistic and natural ugliness and the role of disgust in artistic representation. Offering a theoretical and practical analysis of different kinds of negative aesthetic experiences, this book will help readers acquire a better understanding of his or her own evaluative processes, which may be helpful in coping with complex aesthetic experiences. Readers will gain unique insight into how ugliness can be offensive, yet, at the same time, fascinating, interesting and captivating.   .