Approaches to aesthetics: postmodernism

• Author: Gabriela Ratulea
• Position: Transilvania University of Brasov
• Pages: 347-352

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşo v

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 12(61) No. 2 – 2019

https://doi.org/10.31926/but.ssl.2019.12.61.2.17

APPROACHES TO AESTHETICS: POSTMODERNISM

Gabriela RĂȚULEA1

Abstract: These article aims to provide the postmodernist point of view on

aesthetics. Nowadays a work of art can no longer be defined within an

aesthetical discipline. Aesthetics itself as a discipline is contested, starting

from the assumption that it is a form of metaphysical thinking that sees, in

the appearance of things, the manifestation of a normative spirit. The

postmodern condition of art would relate first to the emancipation from the

main narrative discourse of modern legitimising: aesthetics.

Key words: postmodernism, aesthetics, discourse, work of art.

1. Introduction

In our era, the subject of art is no longer considered as starting from aesthetical

categories, because it is considered that a work of art can no longer be defined within an

aesthetical discipline. Aesthetics itself as a discipline is contested, starting from the

assumption that it is a form of metaphysical thinking that sees, in the appearance of

things, the manifestation of a normative spirit. Unexpectedly, the departure point of

contesters of art and aesthetics is the most important system of modern aesthetics,

namely the Hegelian philosophical system. For Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, art is

considered a form of the absolute spirit, together with religion and philosophy (Hegel,

1966). It represents the first step of manifestation of the absolute spirit, whose

fundamental law is becoming. Becoming in Hegel is a movement of going forward and

rising at the same time, each form (moment of becoming) corresponds to a certain

purpose and plays a certain role in realising the whole. Once the respective form has

realised its destiny, it turns into another form that constitutes its negation or “death”.

Hegel uses the organic metaphor of the development of a fruit from a seed, in order to

illustrate the mechanism of the becoming of the spirit. The becoming does not affect

only the various forms of art (ideal contents, styles, or genres), even art as a form of

expressing the real is questioned. “The death of art” is the death of an essence: it does

not mean that people will not produce artefacts to which they can give significance and

value, but it means that the spiritual function of art in “the education of humanity” (like

Schiller would say) came to an end. The organic metaphor in explaining the life and

death of a form of spirit provides an analogy to art from the plant world: blossoming,

fulfilment, and death. ˮThe universal spirit in his progression becomes more reflexive

1 Transilvania University of Braşov, gratulea@unitbv.ro.