Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
IN A VERY SMALL NUTSHELL
“Beautiful art must look like nature, although we are conscious of it as art.” —Kant (Critique of Judgment, 45)
German scholar Immanuel Kant (pronounced KAHNT, not CAN’T) was the first major philosopher who attempted to bridge the gap between Rationalism (the belief that reason alone is a reliable source of knowledge) and Empiricism (the idea that knowledge can only be attained through the senses). In his three famous Critiques, he attempted to prove that reason had to work together with the senses in order for truth to be obtained.
In the last of his three famous works, the Critique of Judgment, Kant focuses on “judgments of taste” and essentially sets the stage for all of modern aesthetics. The first part of the work is dedicated to analyzing judgments of the beautiful and sublime. Although the two words can be used almost synonymously today, they have very different meanings as rigid philosophical categories. An experience of beauty immediately induces feelings of lighthearted joy, while the sublime is mysterious and overwhelming. Each can provide pleasure in its own way.
Kant believes it takes the talent of genius to produce art that simultaneously pleases judgments of taste and satisfies the criteria of a particular art form. Art is only beautiful if it resembles nature, yet it must also reflect the imagination of the artist in a way that transcends conceptual understanding. —CKG
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
• It what ways are reason and sensory perception both necessary in the appreciation of art?
• Can you think of a piece of art that is beautiful in a way you can’t put into words?