Worringer, Dewey, Goodman, and the Concept of Aesthetic Experience: A Biological Perspective

The purpose of this essay is to advocate the ideas of Wilhelm Worringer, John Dewey, and Nelson Goodman on the roles of perception, empathy, emotion, and enjoyment in aesthetic experience. I will attempt to do this by offering a novel interpretation of some of these thinkers’ insights from a...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Fabio Tononi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Milano University Press 2022-08-01
Series:Itinera
Online Access:https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/itinera/article/view/18563
_version_ 1827880531432308736
author Fabio Tononi
author_facet Fabio Tononi
author_sort Fabio Tononi
collection DOAJ
description The purpose of this essay is to advocate the ideas of Wilhelm Worringer, John Dewey, and Nelson Goodman on the roles of perception, empathy, emotion, and enjoyment in aesthetic experience. I will attempt to do this by offering a novel interpretation of some of these thinkers’ insights from a biological perspective. To this end, I will consider the following questions. What is an aesthetic experience? Does such a thing exist at all? If yes, is there a correlation between the concept of the aesthetic and perception? Is it possible, then, to find a biological basis for aesthetic experience? My argument is that a fresh analysis of the aesthetics of Worringer, Dewey, and Goodman, in light of some of the discoveries and theories of the cognitive neurosciences – such as the biological correlations of emotions, the “as-if-body-loop” theory, the discovery of mirror neurons, and the phenomenon of embodied simulation – may provide a contribution to longstanding philosophical problems relating to the nature of aesthetic experience.
first_indexed 2024-03-12T18:24:44Z
format Article
id doaj.art-0d4ebc85cc694b2da92f1b78ef42c42a
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2039-9251
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-12T18:24:44Z
publishDate 2022-08-01
publisher Milano University Press
record_format Article
series Itinera
spelling doaj.art-0d4ebc85cc694b2da92f1b78ef42c42a2023-08-02T08:34:53ZengMilano University PressItinera2039-92512022-08-012310.54103/2039-9251/18563Worringer, Dewey, Goodman, and the Concept of Aesthetic Experience: A Biological PerspectiveFabio Tononi0New University of Lisbon The purpose of this essay is to advocate the ideas of Wilhelm Worringer, John Dewey, and Nelson Goodman on the roles of perception, empathy, emotion, and enjoyment in aesthetic experience. I will attempt to do this by offering a novel interpretation of some of these thinkers’ insights from a biological perspective. To this end, I will consider the following questions. What is an aesthetic experience? Does such a thing exist at all? If yes, is there a correlation between the concept of the aesthetic and perception? Is it possible, then, to find a biological basis for aesthetic experience? My argument is that a fresh analysis of the aesthetics of Worringer, Dewey, and Goodman, in light of some of the discoveries and theories of the cognitive neurosciences – such as the biological correlations of emotions, the “as-if-body-loop” theory, the discovery of mirror neurons, and the phenomenon of embodied simulation – may provide a contribution to longstanding philosophical problems relating to the nature of aesthetic experience. https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/itinera/article/view/18563
spellingShingle Fabio Tononi
Worringer, Dewey, Goodman, and the Concept of Aesthetic Experience: A Biological Perspective
Itinera
title Worringer, Dewey, Goodman, and the Concept of Aesthetic Experience: A Biological Perspective
title_full Worringer, Dewey, Goodman, and the Concept of Aesthetic Experience: A Biological Perspective
title_fullStr Worringer, Dewey, Goodman, and the Concept of Aesthetic Experience: A Biological Perspective
title_full_unstemmed Worringer, Dewey, Goodman, and the Concept of Aesthetic Experience: A Biological Perspective
title_short Worringer, Dewey, Goodman, and the Concept of Aesthetic Experience: A Biological Perspective
title_sort worringer dewey goodman and the concept of aesthetic experience a biological perspective
url https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/itinera/article/view/18563
work_keys_str_mv AT fabiotononi worringerdeweygoodmanandtheconceptofaestheticexperienceabiologicalperspective