Re-presencing: Aesthetic Education of the Soul in the Spirit of James, Dewey, and Greene
The Journal of Aesthetic Education August 8, 2026 DOI: 10.5406/15437809.60.3.01 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Re-presencing |
| Keywords | Education |
| Key points | Argues that a ritualized practice of repeated, mindful engagement with an artwork—termed "Re-presencing"—can serve as a form of "education of the soul," fostering self-cultivation, heightened consciousness, and expanded awareness of past, present, and possible futures. |
Abstract
Abstract:In this article, I call for a return to Plato’s conception of “education of the soul” through a new pedagogical framework, Represencing, that engages the transformative capacities of aesthetic experience. Philosophically grounded in the work of William James, John Dewey, and Maxine Greene, Re-presencing is a ritualized practice of heightened consciousness and deep inquiry with an artwork (repeatedly over time) about the past, the present, and possible futures. In Re-presencing, we are present with an artwork (mindful awareness and attention to perception), present to experience (and the cognitive emotions therein), and present for inquiry (self-cultivation) and growth—forming and expanding the self with, in, and through aesthetic experience. Our longitudinal relationship with the work of art (through ritualized engagement) allows the object to become a historical marker of past experiences and a threshold of possibility as we become increasingly wide-awake to ourselves, the world around us, and the mystical and mysterious beyond.