The Founding of Aesthetics in the German Enlightenment: The Art of Invention and the Invention of Art

Hardback

Main Details

Title The Founding of Aesthetics in the German Enlightenment: The Art of Invention and the Invention of Art
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Stefanie Buchenau
Physical Properties
Format:Hardback
Pages:282
Dimensions(mm): Height 229,Width 152
Category/GenrePhilosophy - aesthetics
ISBN/Barcode 9781107027138
ClassificationsDewey:111.85
Audience
Professional & Vocational

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 28 February 2013
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

When, in 1735, Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten added a new discipline to the philosophical system, he not only founded modern aesthetics but also contributed to shaping the modern concept of art or 'fine art'. In The Founding of Aesthetics in the German Enlightenment, Stefanie Buchenau offers a rich analysis and reconstruction of the origins of this new discipline in its wider context of German Enlightenment philosophy. Present-day scholars commonly regard Baumgarten's views as an imperfect prefiguration of Kantian and post-Kantian aesthetics, but Buchenau argues that Baumgarten defended a consistent and original project which must be viewed in the context of the modern debate on the art of invention. Her book offers new perspectives on Kantian aesthetics and beauty in art and science.

Author Biography

Stefanie Buchenau is a Maitre de conferences in the German department of the Universite Paris VIII.

Reviews

'Readers will learn much about Wolff and his school from Buchenau's engaging narrative and impeccable scholarship.' Journal of the History of Philosophy