Aesthetic emotions
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aesthetic emotions refer to emotions that are felt during aesthetic activity and/or appreciation. These emotions may be of the everyday variety (such as fear, wonder or sympathy) or may be specific to aesthetic contexts. Examples of the latter include the Sublime, the beautiful, and the kitsch. In each of these respects, the emotion usually constitutes only a part of the overall aesthetic experience, but may play a more or less definitive role for that state.
[edit] Discussion
The relation between aesthetic emotions and other emotions is traditionally said to rely on the disinterestedness of the aesthetic experience (see Kant especially). Aesthetic emotions do not motivate practical behaviours in the way that other emotions do (such as fear motivating avoidance behaviours).
The capacity of artworks to arouse emotions such as fear is a subject of philosophical and psychological research.[1] It raises problems such as the paradox of fiction in which one responds with sometimes quite intense emotions to art, even whilst knowing that the scenario presented is fictional (see for instance the work of Kendall Walton).
Some particular forms of artwork seem to be dedicated to the arousal of particular emotions. For instance horror films seek to arouse feelings of fear or disgust. Comedies seek to arouse amusement or happiness, and tragedies seek to arouse sympathy or sadness.
[edit] Bibliography
Felix Clay, 'The Origin of the Aesthetic Emotion'. Sammelbände der Internationalen Musikgesellschaft, 9. Jahrg., H. 2. (Jan. - Mar., 1908), pp. 282-290. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=1612-0124%28190801%2F03%299%3A2%3C282%3ATOOTAE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-4
Roger Pouivet, 'On the Cognitive Functioning of Aesthetic Emotions'. Leonardo, Vol. 33, No. 1. (2000), pp. 49-53. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0024-094X%282000%2933%3A1%3C49%3AOTCFOA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U
