This blog post explores how aesthetic indifference and art transform human experience. We will consider together the impact art has on our lives within social and ethical contexts.
Imagine a single white rose before us. Though it is one and the same object, the ways we perceive it vary. It might appear as a commodity generating profit, or as a subject for botanical study. In some cases, it might evoke memories of the young members of the resistance group ‘White Rose’ who died opposing the Nazis. Yet, unlike these instances, we often find ourselves simply satisfied by the beauty of its petal shape and pure white color.
The fact that the simple act of viewing a single flower can hold such multifaceted meanings clearly demonstrates how multilayered and complex our way of seeing the world truly is. Of course, each person may have a different perspective, and even the same person’s perception of an object can change depending on the time or situation. This suggests that human experience is not confined within a single framework. For instance, when we first saw a white rose as children, we likely felt only that it was pretty. But as time passes and we accumulate diverse experiences, that rose can become a more complex symbol for us. That symbolism may connect to specific events or people, or even become the starting point for philosophical or aesthetic reflection.
Occasionally, we experience moments that are profoundly different from the ordinary. Things we normally consider important are completely pushed aside, and only the object’s intrinsic aesthetic form becomes the focus of attention. The concept describing this mode of mental operation is ‘aesthetic indifference’. Kant is the leading proponent of this concept. According to him, aesthetic indifference signifies the purely aesthetic psychological state required when judging an object’s beauty. That is, when we judge “X is beautiful,” our interest lies solely in discerning whether X’s formal aspects give our sensibility pleasure or displeasure; it is therefore ‘indifferent interest’. Furthermore, the intrinsic value of X, free from all interest in actually obtaining or knowing something, lies in its ‘purposeless purposiveness’.
This theoretical justification for the purely aesthetic dimension, achievable through complete detachment from the object’s concept, use, and mere existence, developed in Schopenhauer into a philosophy evaluating the contemplation of artistic beauty as a potential path to human spiritual salvation. Deeply immersed in Buddhism, he went beyond Kant’s concept of ‘aesthetic indifference’ to advocate ‘aesthetic disinterestedness’. According to him, this world is governed by the ‘blind will’. We who live here suffer amidst the constant interplay of desire and deprivation, yet in the very moment we become intoxicated by artistic beauty, we taste liberation. That is, we escape the ‘tyranny of the will’ and reach a provisional nirvana.
This experience of aesthetic disinterestedness offers an opportunity to briefly escape the shackles of everyday life and enjoy freedom. It suggests that art can be more than a mere source of pleasure; it can be a tool providing profound inner reflection and spiritual peace. The rapture we feel when appreciating a work of art is not solely due to the combination of forms or colors before our eyes. In that moment, we encounter a depth unattainable in daily life, possessing the power to transcend ourselves.
Aesthetic indifference is a concept that plays a significant role in defending art’s intrinsic value. Yet we cannot disregard the criticism it may incur when pursued to extremes. For a declaration of independence is not a declaration of isolation. The intrinsic value of art is further elevated when it achieves organic harmony with value domains such as truth and goodness. In short, art should not become a mere means subordinate to other purposes, nor should its intellectual and practical role be entirely disregarded.
For this reason, discussions on how art interacts with social and ethical contexts are crucial. The ways in which art, as part of human experience, can contribute to truth and goodness are boundless. Through this, art can contribute to a deep understanding and transformation of human life, going beyond merely conveying beauty. The power of art depends not only on its aesthetic form but also on how that form connects the inner world of humans with external reality.