(D) HISTORY OF SYSTEMS OF AESTHETICS

History of Systems of Aesthetics - Introduction

In the following brief account of the most important contributions to aesthetic doctrine, only such writings will be recognized as aim at some general conception of Art and the beautiful. Much that passes in current literature for aesthetic speculation, namely, a certain thoughtful way of criticizing special works of art, is simply the application of recognized principles to new cases. Sometimes, however, in the hands of a philosophic critic the mere appreciation of a single poem or the works of a particular artist may become a luminous discussion of some general principle, and this method of constructing aesthetic theory from the criticism of a single work or series of works was rendered very productive by Lessing.





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Aesthetics - Table of Contents