In his essay "On the Creation of ART" Monroe Beardsley, probably the best known American philosopher working in the field of aesthetics, is setting himself the task of inquiring into the creative process "between the incept (short for: inceptive element) and the final touch" asking "how the work of art itself comes into existence and takes on its character through the stages or phases of this process." After an interval of more than two decades I would like to offer a few belated comments on Beardsley's ideas, since it seems to me that characteristic differences between American and German thought on this central issue of aesthetics can be shown by this.
Table of Contents
1. ON BEARDSLEY’S VIEW OF THE ARTISTIC PROCESS
2. Annotations
Objectives and Themes
This text provides a critical analysis of Monroe Beardsley’s philosophical perspective on the creative process, contrasting his empiricist approach with German typological traditions and highlighting the limitations of his "internal-determinant" theory.
- Comparison between American empiricist and German idealist aesthetic thought.
- Examination of the stages of art creation: incept, development, and completion.
- Critique of "propulsive" and "finalistic" theories of artistic creation.
- The role of artist temperament and personality types in the creative process.
- The interplay between the artist’s personal style and the objective demands of an unfinished work.
Excerpt from the Book
ON BEARDSLEY’S VIEW OF THE ARTISTIC PROCESS
In his essay "On the Creation of ART [1] Monroe Beardsley, probably the best known American philosopher working in the field of aesthetics [2], is setting himself the task of inquiring into the creative process "between the incept (short for: inceptive element) and the final touch" asking "how the work of art itself comes into existence and takes on its character through the stages or phases of this process." (p. 386) After an interval of more than two decades I would like to offer a few belated comments on Beardsley's ideas, since it seems to me that characteristic differences between American and German thought on this central issue of aesthetics can be shown by this.
Professor Beardsley assumes - together with many students of art [3] - "that there is such a thing as the process of art creation, that beneath ... differences (in the artist's habits and temperament, his medium etc.) there is ... the normal creative pattern ... to be isolated and described." He hopes to be able to deduce it from "the common character of works of art in all media", from "the analogy with aesthetic experience" from "the analogy with other kinds of creative activity", mostly, however, from "direct study of creative processes" (p. 387).
Surprising for the German reader of Professor Beardsley's essay is that, although he mentions in passing differences in temperament of artists that might cause "differences between one creative process and another" (p. 387), he does not seem to lend sufficient importance to them to account for any basic differentiation of creative personalities, processes of creation, and works of art.
Summary of Chapters
ON BEARDSLEY’S VIEW OF THE ARTISTIC PROCESS: This chapter introduces Beardsley’s theory of the creative process and provides a critical evaluation of his empiricist methodology compared to German typological research.
Annotations: This section provides essential bibliographical context and references to the philosophical and psychological literature cited throughout the essay.
Keywords
Monroe Beardsley, Artistic Process, Aesthetics, Creative Pattern, Incept, Empiricism, German Typology, Propulsive Theory, Finalistic Theory, Artistic Temperament, Creative Phases, Expressionism, Introvert, Extravert, Artistic Creation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work provides a critical commentary on Monroe Beardsley’s essay "On the Creation of Art," specifically examining his inquiry into the stages of the creative process.
What are the central thematic areas?
The core themes include the definition of the creative process, the role of artistic temperament, and the conflict between American empiricist aesthetics and German typological theories.
What is the author's primary research objective?
The objective is to demonstrate that characteristic differences between American and German philosophical thought can be revealed by analyzing Beardsley’s approach to the creative process.
Which scientific or philosophical methods are utilized?
The text employs analytical philosophy and comparative aesthetic theory, contrasting mono-causal empiricist premises with bi-polar (dualistic) typological models.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body discusses the stages of incept, development, and completion, rejects one-sided "propulsive" and "finalistic" theories, and explores the importance of personality types in artistic creation.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
The most relevant keywords are aesthetics, artistic process, Beardsley, empiricism, typological theory, and the phases of creativity.
How does Beardsley define the control of the creative process?
Beardsley argues that control is internal to the process itself, suggesting that the work of art generates its own momentum and direction once an element is chosen.
Why does the author criticize Beardsley’s stance on personality types?
The author argues that Beardsley's empiricist tradition leads to a "mistrust" of typological concepts, causing him to overlook the importance of bipolar personality differences that are central to German aesthetic theory.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Wolfgang Ruttkowski (Author), 1994, On Beardsley's view of the artistic process, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/82650
