Aesthetics - Nicolai Hartman

How is a work of art defined? In different art forms such as literature, poetry, music, theater, or architecture, is it possible to reach a general consensus regarding aesthetic criteria? Why do we value some works while considering others outside the aesthetic framework?

One of the classical aesthetic studies of the 20th century belongs to Nicolai Hartmann. In this important work, Hartmann presents a comprehensive theory of beauty, examining the fundamental elements of aesthetic experience. He meticulously discusses the processes of seeing, liking, prolonged contemplation, and pleasure. According to him, this knowledge encompasses not only art but also the development of sensitivity towards the world we live in and the acquisition of a sense of form. Hartmann, in constant dialogue with thinkers such as Aristotle, Kant, Schelling, Hegel, and Schopenhauer, develops an original phenomenological approach through Shakespeare, Rembrandt, and Ancient art. In his analyses, he questions the truth of art, the value of art, and the relationship between art and morality. According to him, aesthetics is not a metaphysical concept but an ontological value, and its source should not be sought in the mind, but directly in the appearance, i.e., in the observed object.

Throughout the work, Hartmann explains the stratification theory of aesthetic objects, considered one of his most original contributions to art history. A work of art consists of different layers, and the genius of the artist is hidden in the deepest point of these layers, which are not apparent at first glance.