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In his The Essence of Æsthetic,[2] and his Æsthetic,[3] Croce examines the question of intuition and expression as defining what art is; specifically Croce defines æsthetics as the "science of expression." He believes art stands on equal footing with the other major divisions of philosophy. Croce holds that knowledge can be either a particular product of intuition, as in art, or a universal product of reasoning, as in logic. Art, itself as a form of knowledge, is independent of what is existent, true, useful, or pleasurable. The intersubjectivity in æsthetic appreciation reflects a kind of cognitive awareness of an image's ideal or "pure form" via intuition. Croce argues that it is feeling or emotion, as a kind of cognitive awareness or "lyrical intuition," not described by romanticism nor by classicism, that is the basis of the unity of art through its synthesis of both form and content.
How does Croce define "art"? What theories of art does Croce argue are mistaken?
According to Croce, how are concepts and intuitions related?
Clarify the "vital principle" which Croce believes makes intuition artistic. What is it that gives coherence to the images forming "a genuine work of art"?
How does Croce characterize spiritual activity? In what ways is spiritual activity more that the association of ideas?
What are the bases of the two kinds of knowledge Croce describes?
How does Croce distinguish the varieties of perception and sensation from intuition?
How does Croce distinguish between image and intuitive knowledge?
Explain what Croce means when he defines "intuition" as "expression."
[1] | Note the title reflects Hegel's magnum opus. |
[2] | Benedetto Croce. The Essence of Æsthetic. Trans. by Douglas Ainslee. London: William Heinemann, 1921. |
[3] | Benedetto Croce. Æsthetic As Science of Expression and General Linguistic. Trans. by Douglas Ainslee. London: Macmillan, 1909. |