The Aesthetic Education of Man

As I read the letter written by Schiller, it talks about beauty and art in term of aesthetic education.  From what I understand, Schiller research about Beauty and Art with its importance of happiness. This research is very important because without it, the world of art will become damage as this research also shows how much Schiller concern about the importance of Beauty and Art in his life. Schiller's importance in the intellectual history of Germany is by no means confined to his poetry and dramas. He did notable work in history and philosophy, and in the department of esthetics especially, he made significant contributions, modifying and developing in important respects the doctrines of Kant. In the letters on "Esthetic Education," which are here printed, he gives the philosophic basis for his doctrine of art, and indicates clearly and persuasively his view of the place of beauty in human life.

In this blog, through letter by letter from 1^st letter to 5^th letter, I will stated my opinion according to my assignment objective. First of all, the objective of this assignment is to:

1.    Describe the aesthetic issues discuss by author of the article given which in this case its Schiller

2.    Demonstrate individual conception of beauty with reference to particular argument

3.    Analyses and juxtapose the aesthetic argument highlighted in the reading material where as my reading material entitled The Aesthetic Education of Man.

It took me about a week to try to understand but until now the book is still mysterious and cannot be understand so I will just give on my opinion based on what I think over the past week.

Now, in the 1^st letter Schiller talks about research and importance of Beauty and Art also the happiness related to it. To him, freedom is a necessity and the ideas are drawn from his worldwide experience in reading. In his letter also mention about the Kantian system and principles about Beauty and Art. According to Kantian, the characteristic of beautiful is the pleasure it produce is free from any interest as beauty also appears to us as an object of general enjoyment without telling us the consciousness of an abstract idea and reasons to which we might refer as our judgement. To Kantian, beauty ought to embrace itself in the relation of conformity but in such a way, this conformity may be grasped without the idea of being offered to our mind. Beauty also not accompanied by an abstract idea as beauty must be acknowledged as the object of necessary enjoyment. Overall, beauty is abstract concerning those ideas is a practical part of Kantian system. Nature is appointed as a people’s protector combined with the purified world of art, thus produce a spontaneous work contains true moral experience. In 2^nd letter, Schiller talks about Fine Art related to freedom. Schiller insists that freedom must be present to have beauty and justify on his principle to solve the political problem in aesthetic way. As for 3^rd letter, it evolves around the human nature  about politics and law. While  4^th letter talks about morale principles in order to build a morale  country that ensure the real power and freedom where all are connected. Last but not least, the 5^th letter about philosopher versus political artist on how different their view is to beauty and art. Human patterns himself through its action. Philosopher said then when art people break the rules they feel guilty but for high class people they debate because of their ego. Therefore, this letter describe what happen in art world when anti-art exist.

The author of the articles discuss the issues about beauty, art, freedom, time and political world where as these items always connected. Schiller’s major focus is on human civilization. Political artist view beauty and art as an abstract idea. They build the country from ideal individu that subdues empirical individu and bringing pressure to him causing his ideas are not recognize.

From what I read, Schiller's aesthetic education was a flight from the political world. He is guilty of aestheticism because he makes beauty into a motive for moral action and a justification of the state. Schiller is also a fatally divided work because it treats the aesthetic as both a means and end. He Schiller attempts to relax the rigour of Kant's moral principles

and defends natural feelings and instincts as motivations for moral action.

In my individual conception of beauty, beauty is not an abstract but have its own worldwide range meaning depends on how people view it. For example, some people view a dry leaves on the street as a rubbish but for art people they view it a 360 degree differently. They take the dry leaves as an idea for the next project. We can see paintings in the exhibition where all the artist’s artwork most of it comes from our daily life which we usually make it as a small matter. Such as, The Soul Of The Nature Painting by Javier Santamaria which shows the important of nature by only painting his artwork with lines and some colour.

Now for the Schiller philosophical argument stated that :

1)    Reasons demands that we should perfect our humanity.

From this statement, Schiller knows that only a individu with good humanity can blend with art because perfect humanity poses a true morale and right mind in order to value the true meaning of art without destroy its nature.

2)    The perfection of humanity consists in the unity of the form and sense of drives.

Schiller talks about two psychic forces or drives which is :

a) Sensuous Drive: Similar to Nietzscheian Dionysian element.
b) Formal Drive: Similar to Apollonian element
c) Play Drive: Combination of both sensuous and formal drive.

Sensuous drive starts from our physical life and is limited with time and space unlike heavenly world. It is irrational, pleasure seeking, emotional. It is related to desire and necessities of body. We have the association with material world, which is changeable and transitory. Here man is selfish and self- centered since he is dominated by sensation. Formal drive initiated with the reasoning world-from mind. It is guided by reason and intellect. People are bound with high moral sense. It demands timelessness and eternity. It wants to transcend time and space. This drive has no any association with matter.

3)    The unity of the form and sense drive is beauty

Again these two drives (sensuous and formal) demand reconciliation to reach a higher drive “play drive”. It is eternal drive. This drive is not possible in ordinary world because it has the sublime quality. This world is the world of complete freedom in which both emotion and morality are subdued. Play drive can be possible only in art. Receptive faculty is related to sensuous drive and if this faculty is followed completely, one lacks his/ her own identity. Determining faculty however is related to formal drive where the development of self becomes difficult. Determining faculty remains constant and static but receptive faculty is in action. He is interested in determining the nature of art by explaining its value.

Therefore,

4)    Reason demands that we should create beauty

Thorugh this, beauty is very important to our world and its more important on how people view it since beauty is abstract with too wide range.

As the conclusion, beauty and art cannot be seperated in any way because both of them are totally connected. Therefore, both beauty and art should be justify at the same time to avoid incovenient issues arise when giving our own opinion.