Schiller on Freedom and Aesthetic Value
Part II
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4158153 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Samantha Matherne (0000-0003-4619-5563, Harvard University), Nick Riggle (0000-0002-4733-6623, University of San Diego, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 17-40 |
| Publication date | 2021-02-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal of Aesthetics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-0904 • E-ISSN: 1468-2842 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/aesthj/ayaa005 |
| OpenAlex | W4205742949 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
In his Letters on the Aesthetic Education of Man, Friedrich Schiller draws a striking connection between aesthetic value and individual and political freedom, claiming that, 'it is only through beauty that man makes his way to freedom'. However, contemporary ways of thinking about freedom and aesthetic value make it difficult to see what the connection could be. Through a careful reconstruction of the Letters, we argue that Schiller's theory of aesthetic value serves as the key to understanding not only his view of aesthetic engagement, but also his distinctive account of individual and political freedom. Whereas in Part I, we developed a reconstruction of Schiller's view that aesthetic value is the only path to individual freedom, in Part II we analyze how Schiller connects aesthetic value to political freedom. In the end, we show that Schiller defends a non-hedonic, action-oriented, communitarian theory of aesthetic value and a theory of freedom that makes the aesthetic not just supererogatory but fundamental for any fully autonomous life. Although we have lost touch with this way of thinking about aesthetic value and freedom, we submit that it is illuminating for contemporary thinking about both
Action (physics · Aesthetic experience · Aesthetic theory · Aesthetic value · Aesthetics · Art · Beauty · Connection (principal bundle · Democracy · Epistemology · Political freedom · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Value (mathematics · Critical Theory and Philosophy · Law · Mathematics · Philosophical Ethics and Theory · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2024 (3) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |