The Pragmatist Aesthetics of William James
British Journal of Aesthetics October 1, 2011 DOI: 10.1093/aesthj/ayr030 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 36 |
| Key points | Argues that William James, despite writing no treatise on aesthetics, offers a foundational pragmatist aesthetics in which the aesthetic dimension of experience is central and linked to rational and practical life. Contends that The Principles of Psychology anticipates themes Dewey later developed in Art as Experience, and proposes that James's approach exemplifies a promising convergence of aesthetics with philosophy of mind. |
Abstract
Although William James wrote no philosophical treatise on aesthetics, he can be seen as an important source for pragmatist aesthetics. This paper reconstructs James's aesthetic views from his diverse writings that demonstrate a keen regard for the arts and for the central, pervasive importance of the aesthetic dimension of experience, a dimension he saw as closely linked to the rational and practical. Special attention is given to his path-blazing The Principles of Psychology which precedes James's explicit pragmatist stage but contains all the most essential themes of pragmatist aesthetics that Dewey would later formulate with much greater detail and argumentation in Art as Experience. This paper elucidates James's treatment of these themes, argues for his influence on Dewey's aesthetics, and suggests how the Jamesian approach exemplifies a promising convergence of aesthetics with philosophy of mind.