The Aesthetic Dimension
Encyclopedia
The Aesthetic Dimension: Toward a Critique of Marxist Aesthetics is a book by German
born philosopher
Herbert Marcuse
which was published in 1978. Written on the subject of aesthetics
, the book explicates Marcuse's account of modern art
's political implications and relationship with society at large.
It is the final major work by Marcuse, best known as a founding member of the Frankfurt School
. The book is also noteworthy as a demarcation of his split with Marxism
via his rejection of Marxist aesthetics
.
of the same name) is a response to previous writings within critical theory
on the subject of art, notably those of Walter Benjamin
and Theodor Adorno. Marcuse rejects Benjamin's call in The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
for the politicization (i.e., a literal reflection of perceived political realities) of modern, reproducible art to both reflect the state of a society and incite change. Like both Benjamin and Adorno, Marcuse feels that art promises resistance to societal repression, and that a cultural revolution is necessarily connected to a political and/or social revolution. Adorno (as represented mainly by his posthumous Aesthetic Theory
) and Marcuse agree that this possibility must be realized through artistic detachment and symbolism, but Marcuse offers a more inclusive and less radical suggestion for modern art's source of power than does Adorno, who believes the works of high culture
to be the sole source of potential artistic emancipation.
Marcuse instead points to what he perceives to be the successes of high culture and translates these to all areas of art. For Marcuse, art's promise of transcendence can only be fulfilled via a conceptual independence from society, but this independence is accessible through a host of media. The successful artist will attain truth in his work through detachment that results in symbolic representation. This successful art must necessarily invoke a longing for something utopian and the promise of ultimate happiness represented by beauty. This symbolic longing for fulfillment will awaken us from complacency.
Marcuse states in the book's introduction that he considers literature
the primary source of his influence for this system, but feels that the ideas would apply to music
and plastic arts as well.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
born philosopher
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
Herbert Marcuse
Herbert Marcuse
Herbert Marcuse was a German Jewish philosopher, sociologist and political theorist, associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory...
which was published in 1978. Written on the subject of aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
, the book explicates Marcuse's account of modern art
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
's political implications and relationship with society at large.
It is the final major work by Marcuse, best known as a founding member of the Frankfurt School
Frankfurt School
The Frankfurt School refers to a school of neo-Marxist interdisciplinary social theory, particularly associated with the Institute for Social Research at the University of Frankfurt am Main...
. The book is also noteworthy as a demarcation of his split with Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
via his rejection of Marxist aesthetics
Marxist aesthetics
Marxist aesthetics is a theory of aesthetics based on, or derived from, the theories of Karl Marx. It involves a dialectical approach to the application of Marxism to the cultural sphere, specifically areas related to taste such as art, beauty, etc...
.
Summary
The Aesthetic Dimension (not to be confused with a chapter from Marcuse's Eros and CivilizationEros and Civilization
Eros and Civilization is one of German philosopher and social critic Herbert Marcuse's best known works. Written in 1955, it is a synthesis of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud. Its title alludes to Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents...
of the same name) is a response to previous writings within critical theory
Critical theory
Critical theory is an examination and critique of society and culture, drawing from knowledge across the social sciences and humanities. The term has two different meanings with different origins and histories: one originating in sociology and the other in literary criticism...
on the subject of art, notably those of Walter Benjamin
Walter Benjamin
Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin was a German-Jewish intellectual, who functioned variously as a literary critic, philosopher, sociologist, translator, radio broadcaster and essayist...
and Theodor Adorno. Marcuse rejects Benjamin's call in The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
"The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" is a 1936 essay by German cultural critic Walter Benjamin, which has been influential across the humanities, and especially in the fields of cultural studies, media theory, architectural theory and art history...
for the politicization (i.e., a literal reflection of perceived political realities) of modern, reproducible art to both reflect the state of a society and incite change. Like both Benjamin and Adorno, Marcuse feels that art promises resistance to societal repression, and that a cultural revolution is necessarily connected to a political and/or social revolution. Adorno (as represented mainly by his posthumous Aesthetic Theory
Aesthetic Theory
Aesthetic Theory is a book by the 20th century German philosopher Theodor Adorno which was culled from drafts written between 1961 and 1969, ultimately published posthumously in 1970...
) and Marcuse agree that this possibility must be realized through artistic detachment and symbolism, but Marcuse offers a more inclusive and less radical suggestion for modern art's source of power than does Adorno, who believes the works of high culture
High culture
High culture is a term, now used in a number of different ways in academic discourse, whose most common meaning is the set of cultural products, mainly in the arts, held in the highest esteem by a culture...
to be the sole source of potential artistic emancipation.
Marcuse instead points to what he perceives to be the successes of high culture and translates these to all areas of art. For Marcuse, art's promise of transcendence can only be fulfilled via a conceptual independence from society, but this independence is accessible through a host of media. The successful artist will attain truth in his work through detachment that results in symbolic representation. This successful art must necessarily invoke a longing for something utopian and the promise of ultimate happiness represented by beauty. This symbolic longing for fulfillment will awaken us from complacency.
Marcuse states in the book's introduction that he considers literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
the primary source of his influence for this system, but feels that the ideas would apply to music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and plastic arts as well.
External links
- Aesthetic Dimension at Questia School
- Herbert Marcuse at Marxists.org