The Philosophy of Art

We have reached the end of art, states Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel in The Philosophy of Art. Hegel charts the progression of art in order to show how it reached its full and final development. But that does not mean that art is dead to us-far from it. Hegel argues for the significance of the philosophy of art, which for him ranks higher than the study of nature in terms of aiding our understanding of reality. Accompanying Hegel's overview of his science of aesthetics are a laudatory introduction by the prominent nineteenth-century scholar and translator W. Hastie and an extensive elaboration of Hegel's ideas by his student C. L. Michelet.

Pt. I Hegel's introduction to the philosophy of art as the science of aesthetics -- Hegel's introduction on the nature, methods and division of aesthetics -- Definition of aesthetics, and refutation of objections -- The methods of scientific treatment -- Division of beautiful art as an organic whole -- Pt. II Michelet's philosophy of art as the science of aesthetics -- Introduction: aesthetics in general -- Formative art: architecture, sculpture, painting -- Musical art: music as art in tone -- Poetic art: poetry as art in speech.