Aesthetic Theory (German Ästhetische Theorie ) is a book by the German philosopher Theodor Adorno , one of the main representatives of the Frankfurt School. It was first published in 1970 after the death of the author. Dedicated to the philosophy of art, the work is interdisciplinary in nature and combines elements of political philosophy, sociology, as well as metaphysics and other philosophical disciplines.
“Aesthetic theory” was conceived by Adorno back in 1956 as a book summarizing numerous works on philosophy, literature and theory of music 3
Work on the text began in 1961, but was repeatedly interrupted, including for writing "Negative Dialectics" (1961-1966). Adorno continued to work on the text until his death in August 1969. Nevertheless, at that moment the book was in the final stages of editing and was being prepared for publication. Posthumously published in 1970.
It was published in Russian in 2001 by the Respublika Publishing House (per. A. V. Dranova).
Contents
The structure of the work corresponds to the principle of "negative dialectics" developed by the author - the theory consists of several "models", and each of them captures one of the contradictions of art. Art, according to Adorno, is ambivalent and antinomic. In contrast to Hegelian dialectics, here each of the definitions and its negation do not serve as a step towards synthesis - the contradictions remain unsolvable, and the whole "must be mounted from a number of private complexes, equivalent and grouped concentrically, on the same level" [1].
The Antinomy of Art: Social Fact and Autonomy
The central problem of the book was the interaction of art and society. Adorno identifies two antinomic features of art - its autonomy and social significance. Art is capable of reflecting "irresistible contradictory contradictions existing in a world torn by conflicts." Social art is not the art of realism, imitation, or mimicry, which directly translates certain realities; art is social only when the essence of individual phenomena is refracted in its form of a work of art. Adorno considers individual trends in modernity as social, and socialist realism, on the contrary, is “the injustice that any joyful art does” [1]. At the same time, art is a unity within itself, it denies and “criticizes society by the very fact of its existence”.
The Antinomy of New Art: Freedom and Self-Negation
By New Art, the author means the various directions of modernity - primarily surrealism, cubism and expressionism. A couple of contradictions inherent in these currents are freedom, alienation and self-denial. Art in the Art Nouveau era freed itself from the need to follow extra-aesthetic dogmas - from cult (religious) and imperialist (or political) functions that were inextricably linked with the art of past centuries and formed its own language. However, the denial of traditions and “nominalism” cast doubt on the foundations of artistic practice: “The absence of even a modified theological meaning results in art in a crisis of its own meaningfulness” [1]. Hence the second side of the New Art, its self-denial.
Antinomy of the work: form and content
The structures that make up the work and determine its essence - form and content, are a unity of opposites. The form, according to Adorno, is "precipitated content." However, the content is derived from the form; the form, in turn, changes due to the need for its correlation with the “other” - content. In this set of reasoning, Adorno removes the antinomy, arguing that "the scales, contrary to Hegel , are leaning toward the form" [1]
Criticism
“Aesthetic theory” was described by critics as magnum opus - the best, most ambitious work of the philosopher, as well as one of the most influential works on aesthetics created in the 20th century [3 ] .
Literature
- Adorno Theodor V. Aesthetic Theory. M .: Republic, 2001 .-- 526 S.
- Malyshev I.V. Art and philosophy: from modern to postmodern. M .: Space-2000, 2013 .-- 130 S.
- Aesthetic Theory at UMN Press