Wittgenstein's criticism of a "science of aesthetics" and the understanding of music

Alessandra Brusadin

pp. 281-301

in: Garry L. Hagberg (ed), Wittgenstein on aesthetic understanding, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2017

Abstract

Can aesthetics be a science? Can empirical methods explain our aesthetic judgments? The possibility of a 'science of aesthetics' is one of the main focuses of Wittgenstein's Lectures on Aesthetics. One of the topics discussed by Wittgenstein with his students—the lectures were held in Cambridge in the summer of 1938—is the idea that the aesthetic judgments can be explained by empirical methods, namely by experimental psychology. Wittgenstein was passionate about music and drew on his musical experience throughout all his writings. His remarks on music are informative on multiple levels, highlighting aspects of music that help us to better understand music itself or making music a helpful tool to clarify nonmusical questions. This essay is about music and about Wittgenstein's contribution to one of the most debated issues in the philosophy of music, that is, musical understanding.

Cited authors

Wittgenstein Ludwig