TY - JOUR
T1 - On wonder, appreciation, and the tremendous in Wittgenstein’s aesthetics
AU - TAM, Ka Hung, Thomas
PY - 2002/7/1
Y1 - 2002/7/1
N2 - Wittgenstein's elliptical remark on ‘the tremendous things in art’ in his 1938 ‘Lectures on Aesthetics’ has given rise to different interpretations as to the place this idea has in his aesthetics. This paper examines the views of Peter Lewis and Benjamin Tilghman on this issue. Both of them build their interpretations on the assumption that Wittgenstein contrasts the response to the tremendous with appreciation. Such an assumption, however, leads to results inconsistent with Wittgenstein's basic conception of aesthetics. For Wittgenstein, aesthetic appreciation is not a formalistic activity, and one clear aspect of it is indeed well illustrated by the response to the tremendous.
AB - Wittgenstein's elliptical remark on ‘the tremendous things in art’ in his 1938 ‘Lectures on Aesthetics’ has given rise to different interpretations as to the place this idea has in his aesthetics. This paper examines the views of Peter Lewis and Benjamin Tilghman on this issue. Both of them build their interpretations on the assumption that Wittgenstein contrasts the response to the tremendous with appreciation. Such an assumption, however, leads to results inconsistent with Wittgenstein's basic conception of aesthetics. For Wittgenstein, aesthetic appreciation is not a formalistic activity, and one clear aspect of it is indeed well illustrated by the response to the tremendous.
UR - http://commons.ln.edu.hk/sw_master/760
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=63149102061&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/bjaesthetics/42.3.310
DO - 10.1093/bjaesthetics/42.3.310
M3 - Journal Article (refereed)
SN - 0007-0904
VL - 42
SP - 310
EP - 322
JO - British Journal of Aesthetics
JF - British Journal of Aesthetics
IS - 3
ER -