The aesthetics of ethical subjectivity: Ethics and aesthetics in the work of Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche and Theodor Adorno.

摘要

This project examines the effect that aesthetic reflection can have on the formation of ethical subjects and the development of reciprocal relations between individuals. In particular, it investigates whether aesthetic judgement, precisely because it encourages the development of a critically self-reflexive subject, provides a valuable model for ethics.; The groundwork for this investigation is laid by Immanuel Kant who depicts the individual as an autonomous, rational agent that is capable of, and indeed responsible for, determining his or her own judgement. Kant's insight regarding the autonomy of the subject enables him to create a system of ethics that is upheld by imperatives, which he argues command respect because they are universally valid for all rational beings.; Friedrich Nietzsche and Theodor Adorno build upon Kant's claim concerning the subject's autonomy to put forward two very different interpretations of what it means to be or become an ethical subject. Nietzsche encourages individuals to create or shape their identity as highly individualised, dynamic subjects akin to living works of art, rather than universalised and disembodied subjects. Nietzsche's emphasis on the subject's flourishing and growth provides important insights into the formation of oneself as an ethical subject, but it provides little in terms of recognising and developing reciprocal, ethical relations with others.; Theodor Adorno's dialectical approach, on the other hand, interprets the subject as intersubjectively developed, which acknowledges the importance of reciprocal relations with others. Adorno's constant reference to the generic subject and object, however, does not differentiate between various types of subjects and objects and their relationships and in so doing, threatens to negate the agency of individuals. In order for Adorno's approach to be a viable means through which ethical subjectivity can be formulated, it needs to be able to acknowledge that ethical interaction occurs between socially embedded individuals because it is through these relationships that individuals can be challenged and exercise their agency as ethical subjects.