In the Clouds: On the Vagueness of Atmospheres

To define ‘atmospheres’ as phenomena between object and subject in the process of perception has almost generally been accepted. Atmospheres are experienced in terms of affect as quasi-objective, free-floating emotions. Given that, how may an atmosphere be described adequately? In the course of list...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Andreas Rauh
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: UMR 1563 « Ambiances Architectures Urbanités » 2017-02-01
Series:Ambiances
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journals.openedition.org/ambiances/818
_version_ 1818972151269556224
author Andreas Rauh
author_facet Andreas Rauh
author_sort Andreas Rauh
collection DOAJ
description To define ‘atmospheres’ as phenomena between object and subject in the process of perception has almost generally been accepted. Atmospheres are experienced in terms of affect as quasi-objective, free-floating emotions. Given that, how may an atmosphere be described adequately? In the course of listing the multiple characteristics of atmosphere, problems that have to do with language emerge. By juxtaposing the order of language and the order of perception, the vagueness of atmospheres becomes visible – as the sorites paradox (accumulation) shows. Yet descriptions of atmospheres do not have to be vague; they can evoke different characters of atmospheres. The issue of vagueness is discussed from a semantic, ontological and an epistemic perspective. Atmospheres can be made tangible by means of the qualitative-empirical method of ‘aesthetic fieldwork’. This method stresses three methodological aspects as a consequence of the vagueness of atmospheres. It is based on the Parcours commenté and entails a subject-concentrated approach to atmospheres in order to avoid the traps of the forms of vagueness.
first_indexed 2024-12-20T15:03:42Z
format Article
id doaj.art-ac8736a3f36145c3843a1847bc98f0a4
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2266-839X
language fra
last_indexed 2024-12-20T15:03:42Z
publishDate 2017-02-01
publisher UMR 1563 « Ambiances Architectures Urbanités »
record_format Article
series Ambiances
spelling doaj.art-ac8736a3f36145c3843a1847bc98f0a42022-12-21T19:36:34ZfraUMR 1563 « Ambiances Architectures Urbanités »Ambiances2266-839X2017-02-0110.4000/ambiances.818In the Clouds: On the Vagueness of AtmospheresAndreas RauhTo define ‘atmospheres’ as phenomena between object and subject in the process of perception has almost generally been accepted. Atmospheres are experienced in terms of affect as quasi-objective, free-floating emotions. Given that, how may an atmosphere be described adequately? In the course of listing the multiple characteristics of atmosphere, problems that have to do with language emerge. By juxtaposing the order of language and the order of perception, the vagueness of atmospheres becomes visible – as the sorites paradox (accumulation) shows. Yet descriptions of atmospheres do not have to be vague; they can evoke different characters of atmospheres. The issue of vagueness is discussed from a semantic, ontological and an epistemic perspective. Atmospheres can be made tangible by means of the qualitative-empirical method of ‘aesthetic fieldwork’. This method stresses three methodological aspects as a consequence of the vagueness of atmospheres. It is based on the Parcours commenté and entails a subject-concentrated approach to atmospheres in order to avoid the traps of the forms of vagueness.http://journals.openedition.org/ambiances/818vaguenessparadoxepistemologyqualitative method
spellingShingle Andreas Rauh
In the Clouds: On the Vagueness of Atmospheres
Ambiances
vagueness
paradox
epistemology
qualitative method
title In the Clouds: On the Vagueness of Atmospheres
title_full In the Clouds: On the Vagueness of Atmospheres
title_fullStr In the Clouds: On the Vagueness of Atmospheres
title_full_unstemmed In the Clouds: On the Vagueness of Atmospheres
title_short In the Clouds: On the Vagueness of Atmospheres
title_sort in the clouds on the vagueness of atmospheres
topic vagueness
paradox
epistemology
qualitative method
url http://journals.openedition.org/ambiances/818
work_keys_str_mv AT andreasrauh inthecloudsonthevaguenessofatmospheres