Schiller's Letters on the Aesthetic Education of Man: Cultivating Beauty (the Politics of Art)

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In this lecture, I examine the Schiller's account of the political uses of art set forth in his Letters on the Aesthetic Education of man. I will explore his transcendental deduction of the beautiful in a future lecture. Instead, I here examine Schiller's more practical account of the function of beauty within society. Schiller begins by defending art from its cultured despisers who say it is frivolous in light of the political crisis inaugurated by the French Revolution. Schiller responds that art is, in fact, the only way out of the vicious circle that society is entrapped in. To reform an unjust state, the people carrying out the revolution must be just, and to reform an unjust people, the state undertaking their reform must be just. Yet, when BOTH state and people are unjust, it appears that there is no way out of the dilemma. Schiller argues that it is at precisely this point art can intervene by offering redemption from another quarter. For Schiller, it is art that holds the key to saving us from civilizational collapse, and, as a result, the artist takes on the mantle of the prophet.
Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00-1:08
Art's Cultured Despisers: 1:09 - 9:05
Aesthetics and Cultural Evolution: 9:06 - 16:26
The Natural Grounds of Beauty: 16:27 - 22:15
The Aesthetic State: 22:16 - 24:11
The Prophetic Call of the Artist: 24:12 - 30:21
On the Aesthetic Education of the Helping Professions: 30:22 - 35:00

[@kasparhauser5357]

With this wonderful even in Germany practically forgotten or nowadays mostly misunderstood work you find yourself in the core of the German soul and mind. Like Goethe and a few others of their time Schiller had a very deep knowledge about history, German people and the political task of Middle Europe. They actually were cosmopolitans in the best sense. Schiller for instance was by far not alone by urgently warning his compatriots to better not build a nation but to "act as individuals in the world". The rest is history.
In terms of practical and therapeutical "use" I`d highly recommend you to start studying the works of Rudolf Steiner who later on imo not just enhanced and refined the works of Schiller and Goethe but also delivered a new perspective on philosophy in general and its meaning in human life Anyway, thanks a lot for your video. Best wishes and Greetings from Germany !

[@PieterHanja]

Thank you!

[@fethk]

There might be some practical use to preach to live life as artfully as one can with a sense of beauty but I find that whatever the man does is a very bad copy of already existing beauty and order in nature. No painting will stand next to the breathtaking beauty of nature, no music will stand close to the sound of nature, and no social order of a man is/was better than the already existing orders among other species tailored specifically for them. Rational reasoning seems to be more of an impediment for us. I'm not sure we are even capable of what Shiller thinks we are. That, on top of the simple fact that life is a struggle while pain and suffering are the only things guaranteed for a man. So, I tend to agree more with Plato's godly forms coming to us in distorted fractal versions preparing us to see them in full when we are ready to do so in this life or the other based on individual ability (vibration.. etc). I guess I just need some hope since I won't experience Shiller's aesthetics in my lifetime. :) Thanx! Your analysis is extraordinary as usual.