Hegel-by-HyperText
Source: G.W.F. Hegel (edited by Hotho) “Aesthetics: Lectures on Fine Art,” Vol. 1
Translated: by T. M. Knox, 1973.
See also Lectures on Aesthetics
1. Prefatory Remarks
2. Limitation and Defence of Aesthetics
3. Refutation of Objections
4. Scientific Ways of Treating Beauty and Art
5. Concept of the Beauty of Art
6. Common Ideas of Art
(i) The Work of Art as a Product of Human Activity
(ii) The Work of Art, as being for Apprehension by Man’s Senses, is drawn from the Sensuous Sphere
(iii) The Aim of Art
7. Historical Deduction of the True Concept of Art
(i) The Kantian Philosophy
(ii) Schiller, Winckelmann, Schelling
(iii) Irony
8. Division of the Subject
(i) The Idea of the Beauty of Art or the Ideal
(ii) Development of the Ideal into the Particular Forms of the Beauty of Art
(iii) The System of the Individual Arts
Part I. The Idea of Artistic Beauty, Or the Ideal
Introduction
Position of Art in Relation to the Finite World and to Religion and Philosophy
Division of the Subject
Chapter I. Concept of the Beautiful As Such
1. The Idea
2. The Idea in Existence
3. The Idea of the Beautiful
Chapter II. The Beauty of Nature
A. Natural Beauty As Such
1. The Idea as Life
2. Life in Nature as Beautiful
3. Ways of Considering Life in Nature
B. The External Beauty of the Abstract Form and the Abstract Unity of the Sensuous Material
1. Beauty of Abstract Form
(a) Regularity and Symmetry
(b) Conformity to Law
(c) Harmony
2. Beauty as Abstract Unity of the Sensuous Material 141
C. Deficiency of Natural Beauty
1. The Inner in Immediacy as only the Inner
2. The Dependence of Immediate Individual Existence
A. The Ideal As Such
1. Beautiful Individuality
2. The Relation of the Ideal to Nature
B. The Determinacy of the Ideal
I. Ideal Determinacy as such
1. The Divine as Unity and Universality
2. The Divine as a Group of Gods
3. Repose of the Ideal
II. Action
1. The General State of the World
(a) Individual Independence-Heroic Age
(b) Prosaic States of Affairs in the Present
(c) The Reconstitution of Individual Independence
2. The Situation
(a) Absence of Situation
(b) The Specific Situation in its Harmlessness
(c) Collision
3. Action
(a) The Universal Powers over Action
(b) The Individual Agents
(c) Character
III. The External Determinacy of the Ideal
1. Abstract Externality as such
2. Correspondence of the Concrete Ideal with its External Reality
3. The Externality of the Ideal [Work of Art] in Relation to the Public
C. The Artist
1. Imagination (Phantasie), Genius, and Inspiration
2. Objectivity of the Representation
3. Manner, Style, and Originality
Part II. Development of the Ideal into the Particular Forms of Art
Introduction
Section 1. The Symbolic Form of Art
Introduction. The Symbol in general
Division of the Subject
Chapter I. Unconscious Symbolism
A. Immediate Unity of Meaning and Shape
1. The Religion of Zoroaster
2. The Non-symbolic Character of Zoroastrianism
3. Non-artistic Interpretation and Presentation of Zoroastrianism
B. Fantastic Symbolism
1. The Indian Conception of Brahma
2. Sensuousness, Boundlessness, and the Activity of Personifying
3. View of Purification and Penance
C. Symbolism Proper
1. Egyptian View and Representation of the Dead: Pyramids
2. Animal Worship and Animal Masks
3. Complete Symbolism — Memnons, Isis and Osiris, the Sphinx
Chapter II. Symbolism of the Sublime
A. The Pantheism of Art
1. Indian Poetry
2. Mohammedan Poetry
3. Christian Mysticism
B. The Art of the Sublime
1. God as Creator and Lord of the World
2. The Finite World Bereft of God
3. The Human Individual
Chapter III. Conscious Symbolism of the Comparative Art Form
A. Comparisons Originating from the External Object
1. Fable
2. Parable, Proverb, Apologue
(a) Parable
(b) Proverbs
(c) Apologue
3. Metamorphoses
B. Comparisons which Start from the Meaning
1. Riddle
2. Allegory
3. Metaphor, Image, Simile
(a) Metaphor
(b) Image
(c) Simile
C. Disappearance of the Symbolic Form of Art
1. Didactic Poetry
2. Descriptive Poetry
3. The Ancient Epigram
Section II. The Classical Form of Art
Introduction
The Classical Type in General
1. Independence of the Classical as Interpenetration of Spirit and its Shape in Nature
2. Greek Art as the Actual Existence of the Classical Ideal
3. Position of the Productive Artist in Classical Art
4. Division of the Subject
Chapter I. The Process of Shaping the Classical Form of Art
1. The Degradation of the Animal
(a) Animal Sacrifices
(b) Hunts
(c) Metamorphoses
2. The Battle between the Old Gods and the New
(a) Oracles
(b) The Old Gods in Distinction from the New
(c) The Conquest of the Old Gods
3. Affirmative Retention of the Negatived Features
(a) The Mysteries
(b) Preservation of the Old Gods in Artistic Representation
(c) Natural Basis of the New Gods
Chapter II. The Ideal of the Classical Form of Art
1. The Ideal of Classical Art in General
(a) The Ideal as Originated by Free Artistic Creation
(b) The New Gods of the Classical Ideal
(c) The Sort of External Representation
2. The Group of Particular Gods
(a) Plurality of Individual Gods
(b) Lack of a Systematic Arrangement
(c) Fundamental Character of the Group of the Gods
3. The Individuality of the Gods seriatim
(a) Material for Individualization
(b) Preservation of the Moral Basis
(c) Advance to Grace and Attractiveness
Chapter III. The Dissolution of the Classical Form of Art
1. Fate
2. Dissolution of the Gods through their Anthropomorphism
(a) Deficiency in Inner Subjectivity
(b) The Transition to Christianity is only a Topic of Modern Art
(c) Dissolution of Classical Art in its own Sphere
3. Satire
(a) Difference between the Dissolution of Classical Art and that of Symbolic Art
(b) Satire
(c) The Roman World as the Soil where Satire Flourishes
Section III. The Romantic Form of Art
Introduction
Of the Romantic in General
1. The Principle of Inner Subjectivity
2. The more Detailed Features of the Content and Form of the Romantic
3. Relation of the Subject-matter to the Mode of Representation
4. Division of the Subject
Chapter I. The Religious Domain of Romantic Art
1. The Redemptive History of Christ
(a) Apparent Superfluity of Art
(b) Necessary Emergence of Art
(c) The Details of the External Appearance are Accidental
2. Religious Love
(a) Concept of the Absolute as love
(b) The Heart [or Soul]
(c) Love as the Romantic Ideal
3. The Spirit of the Community
(a) Martyrs
(b) Repentance and Conversion
(c) Miracles and Legends
Chapter II. Chivalry
1. Honour
(a) The Concept of Honour
(b) Vulnerability of Honour
(c) Reconstitution of Honour
2. Love
(a) Concept of Love
(b) Love’s Collisions
(c) Love’s Contingency
3. Fidelity
(a) Fidelity in Service
(b) Fidelity’s Subjective Independence
(c) Fidelity’s Collisions
Chapter III. The Formal Independence of Individual Characters
1. The Independence of the Individual Character
(a) Formal Firmness of Character
(b) Character as Inner but Undeveloped Totality
(c) What the Substantial Interest is in the Presentation of Formal Character
2. Adventures
(a) The Contingency of Aims and Collisions
(b) The Comic Treatment of Contingency
(c) Romantic Fiction
3. Dissolution of the Romantic Form of Art
(a) The Subjective Artistic Imitation of the Existent Present
(b) Subjective Humour
(c) The End of the Romantic Form of Art
Part III. The System of the Individual Arts
Section I. Architecture
Section II. Sculpture
Section III. The Romantic Arts