The first book of its kind, German Aesthetics assembles a who's who of German studies to explore 200 years of intellectual history, spanning literature, philosophy, politics, and culture.
German Aesthetics establishes for English-speaking audiences the fundamental concepts of the German aesthetics from roughly 1750-1970. Written in a clear and lucid style, each entry serves as both creative interpretations of the German aesthetic tradition, useful to researchers, and introductions and summaries, helpful preparation for classroom discussion. To achieve this combination of specialization and accessibility, the volume brings together a wide array of experts from the fields of German literature, aesthetics and philosophy, scholars in German studies, film studies, and history.
Taking systematic and historical perspectives, the essays in this volume explore numerous concepts that feature prominently in German aesthetics, such as imagination, mimesis, beauty, the sublime, and irony. Drawing on foundational writings by Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, and Adorno, the authors cover a wide spectrum of the arts, including literature, music, painting, and film. Readers will also find topics rarely treated elsewhere, such as 'saying/showing' and 'the end of art.' This is an excellent book that will provide Anglophone teachers and students with informed insights into aesthetics from the eighteenth century through the present.
