Heidegger on beauty
In: Zbornik Matice Srpske za društvene nauke: Proceedings for social sciences, Heft 177, S. 39-49
ISSN: 2406-0836
This paper is about Heidegger?s understanding of beauty, with regard to his
specific critique and reevaluation of traditional philosophical aesthetics,
known as overcoming of aesthetics. Namely, since the notion of beauty is not
the most prominent one in Heidegger?s understanding of aesthetics, my aim in
this paper is to point out to its role and function in the project of
overcoming of aesthetics and metaphysics, and consequently, in the
development of Heidegger?s later philosophy in general. I will focus my
analyses on two Heidegger?s lectures dating from 1935-1936, The Origin of
the Work of Art and The Introduction to Metaphysics. Both of these, in my
view, represent key texts for the analysis of the notion of beauty in
Heidegger. Firstly, I will analyze the relationship between beauty and art,
and thus show that Heidegger?s approach to beauty implies ontological
connotations (with regard to the question of Being), as well as a critique
of traditional relationship between beauty and art (art as production of
beauty). Secondly, I will stress the relation between beauty, truth and
light (shine), and thus indicate Heidegger?s positive approach to the
matter. Resulting from these analyses, Heidegger?s notion of beauty is shown
as a vital part of his overcoming of aesthetics and metaphysics, but also as
a specific aspect of various questions and problems of his later philosophy.
Additionally, the results of these analyses can become a starting point for
further interpretation of the relationship between beauty and form, and
between light (shine) and Being in Heidegger?s philosophy.