A relevância ética da contemplação estética

Schopenhauer's philosophy presents the world as will and representation, structured in four books. The third book, on aesthetic contemplation, is argued to be central to his system because it describes a mental state—'Besonnenheit' (thoughtfulness or composure)—that is both a condition for knowledge and a foundation for human morality. The capacity for moral action is already present in aesthetic contemplation, which enables a disinterested, will-free perception. This article interprets aesthetic theory as a philosophy of consciousness, showing how the ability to transcend individual will through art makes moral behavior possible.

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Abstract

Schopenhauer organized his philosophy of the world as will and representationsystematically, dividing the work into four sections. The unity of the essence of the worldarises in different ways, according to the four books of the main work, by means of ournatural volitional and purposive cognition (book 1), the recognition of the “objectity” of thewill, experienced on the own body (book 2), the possibility of ideal cognition, freed fromthe will, in aesthetic contemplation (book 3) up to the understanding (“Durchschauung”)of the principium individuationis: the self-knowledge of the will (book 4). In this article,the theory of aesthetic contemplation is regarded as a philosophy of consciousness, whichlegitimizes the central importance of the third Book for Schopenhauer’s philosophical systemas a whole. Our central reflections refer to the specific mental attitude of “Besonnenheit”insofar as it is both a condition of knowledge and a characteristic of human morality. Hencethe human capacity for morality is present in actual aesthetic contemplation – as a conditionof the possibility of acting morally.