Aesthetic Properties: Expressive perception in linear drawings

The monograph aims to show that the Stoa, an ancient Greek philosophical school, made a substantial line of enquiry into the nature of aesthetic properties, and thus there are good reasons to analyse and discuss the sub-field of the Stoic thought that could be called ‘Stoic aesthetics.’ This study of Stoic views on beauty begins with the question of indifferents and the challenge it poses for aesthetics. The controversial Stoic theory of values states that ‘beauty’ is one of the so-called indifferents, that is, the things that do not contribute to human happiness and therefore ought not to be treated as the good. It is argued that a thorough reading of the material shows that beauty is not treated as irrelevant in general; the evidence only shows that beauty is an inferior value to virtue. This leaves the possibility of theorising aesthetic objects. This leads to a systematic interpretation of Stoic aesthetics by looking at other pieces of extant evidence where beauty is mentioned, including the argument ‘that only the beautiful is the good’, theological arguments, the claim that only the wise man is beautiful and the Stoic definition of beauty as summetria. The latter, it is argued, is a succinct formulation of the idea that beauty is a function composition, and this idea has emerged in the previous discussions of various arguments involving aesthetic terms. The monograph ends with a discussion of the Stoic views in ancient Greek philosophical context.

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AESTHETIC PROPERTIES OF COMIC

Конференции ◽

10.47100/conferences.v1i1.1106 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dilnoza Shokhobutdinova

Keyword(s):

Aesthetic Properties

В статье анализируется лингвистические теории комического, которые помогают выявить механизмы восприятия комической информации cтруктуры знаний, задействованные в юмористических актах функции комического и языковые средства его реализации, а также освещаются те проявления феномена комического, которые еще не были достаточно изучены.

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Aesthetics in Stoicism and Stoicism in Aesthetics

The Stoic Theory of Beauty ◽

10.3366/edinburgh/9781474461610.003.0007 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 171-191

Author(s):

Aistė Čelkytė

Keyword(s):

Late Antiquity ◽

Functional Structure ◽

Aesthetic Properties ◽

Long Time ◽

Definition Of ◽

The Way ◽

Medical Writings

The Stoic definition of beauty and the way in which beauty vocabulary is used in various arguments are remarkably consistent. This coherence suggests that the Stoic engagement with this area of philosophy must have been thorough and substantial. The chapter also presents a discussion of various prominent beauty theories in antiquity and compares them with the Stoic views. The figures discussed include Polycleitus, Vitruvius, Philolaus of Croton, Plato, Aristotle. The comparisons show that the Stoic definition of beauty as summetria was a distinct theory that accounted for aesthetic properties in reductive terms, that is, as a functional structure. It rivalled the Platonic accounts in which Forms played the central role. Plotinus’ attack on Stoicism shows that this rivalry lasted for a long time, and that while Platonism dominated the philosophical scene in late antiquity, Stoic views survived in other contexts. An analysis of the account of beauty found in the medical writings of Galen is used to support this claim.

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