Are aesthetic judgments of works of art based on objective reality or are they the product of subjective experience? Explore the debate between aesthetic realism and anti-realism.
One of the debates in aesthetics about what are considered to be so-called aesthetic properties, such as elegance, majesty, and so on, is whether the properties to which a statement of aesthetic judgment refers, i.e., whether the aesthetic property exists in the object, when the statement is made about the object. The two main views on this are aesthetic realism and aesthetic antirealism.
According to aesthetic realism, aesthetic properties are real in objects. This means that if an aesthetic judgment about an aesthetic property is objectively true, then the aesthetic property is real. For example, aesthetic realism holds that if we all agree that Beethoven’s Symphony of Destiny is majestic, then one of the real properties of the Symphony of Destiny is majesty, because we all succeed in perceiving it. However, some of us may also make the aesthetic judgment that the Symphony of Destiny is lethargic. Aesthetic realism explains that this is because some of us fail to see the true nature of the symphony of fate, either because of perceptual problems such as their deafness or because of a lack of aesthetic sensitivity. Aesthetic realism views aesthetic properties as real, like natural properties, and argues that aesthetic judgments reflect that reality.
Aesthetic antirealism, on the other hand, denies that aesthetic properties exist objectively in objects. Aesthetic judgment is about the subjective response of the viewer, not about recognizing objectively existing properties of an object. The reason for the unity of aesthetic judgments about the Symphony of Destiny is that we have all formed similar aesthetic sensibilities and, as a result, reacted similarly to the music. In other words, the unity of aesthetic judgment is due to the fact that people with similar sensibilities reacted in a similar way. Aesthetic counterfactualism explains that discrepancies in aesthetic judgments occur because people with different aesthetic sensibilities react differently to objects. Thus, aesthetic counterfactualism views aesthetic attributes as subjective experiences, and judgments depend on individual tastes and sensibilities.
Despite these differences, aesthetic realism and aesthetic antirealism agree in that they both consider aesthetic judgments to be statements that require justification. When asked to justify their aesthetic judgment about the Symphony of Destiny, neither position would say that they cannot give reasons. What they do agree on is the idea that a statement about an aesthetic judgment is a proposition and needs to be supported by a reason. Aesthetic realism claims that the reasons are based on objective properties, and aesthetic antirealism claims that the reasons are based on subjective experience and sensibility, but both sides see that aesthetic judgments are not merely subjective opinions.
Ultimately, the debate between aesthetic realism and aesthetic antirealism involves deep philosophical questions about the nature of aesthetic judgment and how we understand its basis. The debate over whether aesthetic judgments reflect objective properties or are expressions of subjective experience is one of the central themes of aesthetics, contributing to a deepening of our understanding of art and beauty. This debate is not just a theoretical one; it affects the way we actually appreciate and evaluate works of art. This debate is important because it suggests that our appreciation and interpretation of a work of art is not simply a matter of personal taste, but may have a deeper philosophical basis.
