•  387
    Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and the Aesthetically Sublime
    Journal of Aesthetic Education 37 (1): 90. 2003.
    In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:The Journal of Aesthetic Education 37.1 (2003) 90-106 [Access article in PDF] Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and the Aesthetically Sublime Bart Vandenabeele Much has been written on the relationship between Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche. Much remains to be said, however, concerning their respective theories of the sublime. First, I shall argue against the traditional, dialectical view of Schopenhauer's theory of the sublime t…Read more
  •  145
    The subjective universality of aesthetic judgements revisited
    British Journal of Aesthetics 48 (4): 410-425. 2008.
    When we are touched by the beauty of something, we cannot help judging that the experienced feeling of pleasure ought to be shared by others. In Kantian terms, a pure judgement of taste requires or demands everyone else's assent. I examine some of the major intricacies of Kant's account and aim to correct some distorted views of it. I argue that the autonomy (or ‘heautonomy’) of the judgement of taste is not presupposed but made possible by the modal requirement as such, i.e. by the ‘subjective …Read more
  •  131
    : Although Kant holds that the universal communicability of aesthetic judgments logically follows from the disinterested character of the pleasure upon which they are based, Kant’s emphasis on the a priori validity of judgments of beauty can be viewed as a rebuttal of the kind of empiricist arguments that Burke offers to justify the social nature of the experience of beauty. I argue that the requirement of universal communicability is not a mere addition to the requirement of universal validity …Read more
  •  127
    Schopenhauer on Aesthetic Understanding and the Values of Art
    European Journal of Philosophy 16 (2): 194-210. 2008.
    The article explores German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer's view on aesthetics and the values of art. It contends that some important aspects of Schopenhauer's discussion of tragedy indicate that the theory that the value of art is deductible to the aesthetic pleasure it affords is inadequate. Moreover, it claims that Schopenhauer attaches great importance to the distinction between concept and idea. It also asserts that Schopenhauer's account of aesthetic experience is inspired by Plato's ide…Read more
  •  87
    Schopenhauer on sense perception and aesthetic cognition
    Journal of Aesthetic Education 45 (1): 37-57. 2011.
    In Schopenhauer’s view, the whole organic and inorganic world is ultimately governed by an insatiable, blind will. Life as a whole is purposeless: there is no ultimate goal or meaning, for the metaphysical will is only interested in manifesting itself in (or as) a myriad of phenomena, which we call the “world” or “life.” Human life, too, is nothing but an insignificant product or “objectivation” of the blind, unconscious will, and because our life is determined by willing (that is, by needs, aff…Read more
  •  72
    On the Notion of "Disinterestedness": Kant, Lyotard, and Schopenhauer
    Journal of the History of Ideas 62 (4): 705-720. 2001.
    In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Journal of the History of Ideas 62.4 (2001) 705-720 [Access article in PDF] On the Notion of "Disinterestedness": Kant, Lyotard, and Schopenhauer Bart Vandenabeele The strange thing, on looking back, was the purity, the integrity, of her feeling for Sally. It was not like one's feeling for a man. It was completely disinterested, and besides, it had a quality which could only exist between women, between women just grown up.--Virginia…Read more
  •  66
    Aesthetic Disinterestedness in Kant and Schopenhauer
    Estetika: The European Journal of Aesthetics 49 (1): 45-70. 2012.
    While several commentators agree that Schopenhauer’s theory of ‘will-less contemplation’ is a variant of Kant’s account of aesthetic disinterestedness, I shall argue here that Schopenhauer’s account departs from Kant’s in several important ways, and that he radically transforms Kant’s analysis of aesthetic judgement into a novel aesthetic attitude theory. In the first part of the article, I critically discuss Kant’s theory of disinterestedness, pay particular attention to rectifying a common mis…Read more
  •  59
    The Sublime in Art: Kant, the Mannerist, and the Matterist Sublime
    Journal of Aesthetic Education 49 (3): 32-49. 2015.
    Numerous contemporary artworks are found repellent, even by genuine art lovers, either because they deliberately derange our perception and imagination by an abundance of incoherent representations and stimuli or because they demand that we value seemingly nonsensical objects or all kinds of disgusting materials. Installations, collages, and so-called unassisted ready-mades especially cannot count on too much appreciation, unless the artists in question are sufficiently supported by clever manag…Read more
  •  58
    Aesthetic solidarity "after" Kant and Lyotard
    Journal of Aesthetic Education 42 (4). 2008.
    In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Aesthetic Solidarity "after" Kant and LyotardBart Vandenabeele (bio)Whatever view we hold, it must be shown / Why every lover has a wish to make / Some other kind of otherness his own: / Perhaps in fact we never are alone.—W. H. AudenIntroductionUndoubtedly one of the most fascinating aspects of Kant's aesthetics is the link that the Königsberg philosopher establishes between aesthetic judging and the idea of being-together and being…Read more
  •  50
    Het sublieme in de kunst: van Kant tot Duchamp en verder
    Tijdschrift Voor Filosofie 73 (4): 701-733. 2011.
  •  44
    A Companion to Schopenhauer (edited book)
    Wiley-Blackwell. 2011.
    _A Companion to Schopenhauer_ provides a comprehensive guide to all the important facets of Schopenhauer’s philosophy. The volume contains 26 newly commissioned essays by prominent Schopenhauer scholars working in the field today. A thoroughly comprehensive guide to the life, work, and thought of Arthur Schopenhauer Demonstrates the range of Schopenhauer’s work and illuminates the debates it has generated 26 newly commissioned essays by some of the most prominent Schopenhauer scholars working to…Read more
  •  38
    "New" media, art, and intercultural communication
    Journal of Aesthetic Education 38 (4): 1-9. 2004.
    In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:"New" Media, Art, and Intercultural CommunicationBart Vandenabeele (bio)It is fairly common — but perhaps not altogether innocent — to avoid addressing new media and intercultural aspects of communication in one and the same essay. Here, however, both issues are treated together. I shall investigate, in a perhaps somewhat unusual way, the phenomenon of "new" artistic media and some related issues such as virtual reality, computer and…Read more
  •  36
    No need for essences. On non-verbal communication in first inter-cultural contacts
    South African Journal of Philosophy 21 (2): 85-96. 2002.
    Drawing on anthropological examples of first contacts between people from different cultures, I argue that non-verbal communication plays a far bigger part in intercultural communication than has been acknowledged in the literature so far. Communication rests on mutually attuning in a large number of judgements. Some sort of structuring principle is needed at this point, and Davidson's principle of charity is a good candidate, provided sufficient attention is given to non-verbal communication. T…Read more
  •  27
    This article discusses Kant's and Schopenhauer's analyses of the feeling of the sublime. The focus is on the relationship between their ethics and aesthetics. It is argued that the kantian-schopenhauerian analysis of the sublime reveals an insurmountable fissure at the heart of subjectivity. This points out that a dialectical interpretation of kantian-schopenhauerian aesthetics, that reduces the sublime feeling to a kind of bridge or passage (Übergang) from the beautiful to the good is not witho…Read more
  •  22
    7. Schopenhauer on Aesthetic Contemplation
    In Matthias Koßler & Oliver Hallich (eds.), Arthur Schopenhauer: Die Welt Als Wille Und Vorstellung, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag. pp. 101-118. 2014.
  •  19
    The mainstream interpretation of Schopenhauer's philosophy is dialectical and stresses the continuity between aesthetics and ethics. This interpretation has its own plausibility but is overly confident in the letter. Restricting the value of Schopenhauer's aesthetic theory to a mere propaedeutic of an ethics, wherein the ascetic ideal of the denial of willing is central, might seem fully justified at first sight, but clearly overlooks a number of crucial complexities and ambivalences. First of a…Read more
  •  19
    Nietzsche, Selfhood, and the Limitations of the Transcendental Reading
    with Violi Sahaj
    Nietzsche Studien 44 (1). 2015.
    Name der Zeitschrift: Nietzsche-Studien Jahrgang: 44 Heft: 1 Seiten: 315-339
  •  16
    Media processes
    with Johan Siebers, Tino Meitz, Vincenzo Romania, and Vincent Blok
    Empedocles: European Journal for the Philosophy of Communication 3 (2): 117-118. 2011.
  •  15
    Short film experience
    with Pepita Hesselberth and Carlos Miguel Roos Munoz
    Since the advent and standardization of the theatrical feature length film, the audio-visual short has been more or less marginalized in the discussions on cinematic experience. Historically stretching from the ‘early cinema’ of the vaudeville, to the now obsolete ‘little films’ of YouTube and beyond, the audio-visual short traverses a wide variety of media platforms, practices and technologies, including animation, video installation art, video clips and TV commercials, as well as animated GIFs…Read more
  •  12
    Communication and memory
    with Johan Siebers, Mats Bergman, and Vincenzo Romania
    Empedocles: European Journal for the Philosophy of Communication 2 (1). 2011.
  •  10
    Strelend wonden helen: over Hadewych, erotiek en esthetiek
    de Uil Van Minerva 13 89-95. 1996.
  •  8
    This chapter contains sections titled: Will‐Lessness, Science and Art Art, Objectivity and Death Objective Knowledge of (Platonic) Ideas Tragic Art, Concerned Individuals and the Objective Stance The Objectivity of Art and the Abolition of the Self Note References Further Reading.
  •  7
    "New" Media, Art, and Intercultural Communication
    Journal of Aesthetic Education 38 (4): 1. 2004.
    In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:"New" Media, Art, and Intercultural CommunicationBart Vandenabeele (bio)It is fairly common — but perhaps not altogether innocent — to avoid addressing new media and intercultural aspects of communication in one and the same essay. Here, however, both issues are treated together. I shall investigate, in a perhaps somewhat unusual way, the phenomenon of "new" artistic media and some related issues such as virtual reality, computer and…Read more
  •  7