The s̆thetic attitude / by Herbert Sidney Langfeld.
"A book on aesthetics is of value in so far as it assists the reader in enriching his aesthetic experience. With this in mind I have laid particular emphasis upon a description of the nature of appreciation, for I believe that it is through such knowledge that our world of beauty is most effect...
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| Format: | Ebook |
| Language: | English |
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New York :
Harcourt, Brace and Howe,
1920.
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| Online Access: | APA PsycBooks |
| Summary: | "A book on aesthetics is of value in so far as it assists the reader in enriching his aesthetic experience. With this in mind I have laid particular emphasis upon a description of the nature of appreciation, for I believe that it is through such knowledge that our world of beauty is most effectively enlarged. Less attention has been given to the act of creation because a description of the special technique of the several arts, which is the chief factor in artistic production, lies beyond the scope of aesthetics. However, even though the main emphasis has been placed on appreciation, it cannot be said that the interests of the artist have been entirely neglected, for it must be remembered that it is necessary for him to appreciate before he can produce. In maintaining the view that aesthetics should be pragmatic, that is, useful to all those who desire a deeper knowledge of beauty, I hold a position opposed to that of certain philosophers who think that aesthetics should remain entirely theoretical. Such writers generally believe that the chief characteristic of beauty is its uselessness. I have tried to show, on the contrary, that the perception of beauty is one of the most useful of man's experiences. In order to establish the book on an empirical basis I have attempted a description of the mental processes involved in appreciation, and this psychological treatment of aesthetics predominates, although some attention has been given to the analysis of certain art forms. The principle which underlies the psychological study is that of the motor theory of mind, namely, that to every stimulus which the organism receives from without, it makes a definite response, the nature of which depends upon both the stimulus and the past experience of the organism. That there are bodily responses to certain forms of art has been demonstrated. Although the exact nature of the responses to every form of art has not as yet been ascertained, it has seemed safe, considering the amount of data already at hand, to make certain generalizations concerning the reactions of the organism to objects of beauty"--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved). |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (xi, 287 pages) : illustrations |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |