Introduction
Immanuel Kant is a prominent figure in the philosophical sphere because he coined a few significant concepts, ideas, and interpretations. One of his works, Critique of the Power of Judgment, deserves much attention. Also known as the Third Critique, the book focuses on the subjects of science and teleology and offers an essential analysis of aesthetics (Kant, 2000). This literary piece is additionally worth consideration because it comments on the difference between the beautiful and the sublime and introduces universalism of aesthetic judgments (Kant, 2000). It is possible to apply these concepts to the study of poetry because many people consider this phenomenon an aesthetic representation of literature. Since there is a connection between poetry and ideas from the Third Critique, a suitable approach is to identify Kant’s approach to literature, in general, and poetry, in particular.
Main body
The given research proposal is going to answer the following question: How does Immanuel Kant assess the beauty of poetry? Based on this articulation, one can offer a specific hypothesis that will be tested in the thesis. Thus, the proposal expects to identify that the beauty of poetry is an individualistic concept that depends on the judgment of taste. It is necessary to locate and analyze credible information to analyze whether the hypothesis is true.
A few specific arguments prove that the suggested topic is significant. Firstly, Kant is deservedly considered a leading light in philosophy, which denotes that his ideas represent much interest to modern researchers. Scientists try to analyze what the thinker said about various concepts and phenomena to get a better understanding of his overall system of philosophy. Secondly, poetry is an integral element in the present world because it is an effective manifestation of a nation’s culture and history. Consequently, it is exciting to discover how a famous philosopher approaches such an important phenomenon.
It is rational to present the results of an initial information search to demonstrate whether the topic and research question above make sense. In the beginning, one should demonstrate what Kant says about aesthetics and beauty in his Critique of the Power of Judgment. The philosopher stipulates that although people assess aesthetics according to their subjective feelings, these judgments have universal validity (Kant, 2000). The universal nature is present because these statements are disinterested, which denotes that individuals only appreciate beauty and understand that they cannot use it in any way (Kant, 2000). In addition to that, the thinker distinguishes the concepts of beauty and sublime. For Kant (2000), beautiful objects are immediately apparent, while sublime ones are associated with mystery and ineffability. This description demonstrates that poetry is in between these because poems can be beautiful because of their form and sublime because of their content.
However, it is not sufficient to limit oneself to Kant’s book to answer the research question. A suitable strategy is to find the critique of his philosophical ideas and determine what other scholars comment on this topic. According to Stocker and Mack (2018), Kant considers poetry the highest of arts because it can express aesthetic ideas and values. However, the philosopher does not stipulate that an object contains beauty within itself, which denotes that the interplay between form and content is needed to make such a conclusion (Stocker & Mack, 2018). This information sheds more light on the topic under analysis.
Kant’s discussion of aesthetics is of interest to many scholars. Jovanović (2020) stipulates that the philosopher drew much attention to the cognitive potential of poetry. Even though Kant is famous for his endorsement of formalism, he highlighted the fact that poetry could be influential and beautiful in terms of its content. Simultaneously, Lemos (2021) indicates that Kant relied on contextualism to assess art and, in particular, poetry. This statement denotes that every piece of poetry has its degree of beauty that depends on its form, content, and context of when and how it was created. Thus, Lemos (2021) stipulates that the beauty of poetry is a unique concept that arises under different circumstances. Furthermore, Geiger (2021) explains that aesthetic attributes do not only play a supporting role in poetry but make works animated. This information contributes to sublimity because when poems become personified, this process implies some mystery.
On the contrary, not all scholars agree that Kant relies on specific details and conditions to assess the beauty of poetry. Some of them stipulate that beauty is an unconditional phenomenon. For example, this statement refers to Marion and Terzi (2020), who mention that, for Kant, the aesthetics of an object is independent of its properties, content, and form. This finding demonstrates that it is not necessary to focus on the poem’s form or content to determine whether they are beautiful. The same researchers add that aesthetical experience is beyond all contexts of reality (Marion & Terzi, 2020). According to this point of view, Kant stipulates that every piece of poetry has its beauty to some extent, irrespective of what this piece is about and how it is formatted.
The information above demonstrates that it is possible to locate sufficient evidence to investigate the topic and answer the research question. Thus, it is necessary to use a specific methodology to ensure that the thesis will be credible and reliable. A suitable approach is to rely on qualitative methodology and perform a literature review of appropriate scientific sources. This suggestion demonstrates that it will be required to locate and analyze many scholarly articles, books, and other credible resources. In particular, the references used in the given proposal represent a bibliography of readings. It is worth admitting that these six sources only provide a basis that is needed to become familiar with the topic. Since the overall goal is to write a professional and comprehensive thesis, it will be necessary to deal with more sources. That is why it is reasonable to highlight the importance of selecting credible, professional, and timely resources.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the given research proposal has collected and presented sufficient information to defend the selected topic and research question. It is reasonable to focus on how Immanuel Kant assesses the beauty of poetry because this theme is significant and interesting in the present world. The philosopher drew much attention to aesthetics in his Critique of the Power of Judgment, and one can analyze how these concepts are applied to poetry. Furthermore, the preliminary literature review has proved that a suitable topic was selected. On the one hand, some researchers stipulate that Kant evaluates aesthetics according to poetry’s content and form. On the other hand, there exists an opinion that poetry pieces have aesthetic properties irrespective of their essence and contexts. This identified controversy demonstrates that it is necessary to write the thesis to determine which opinion deserves attention.
References
Geiger, I. (2021). Kant on aesthetic ideas, rational ideas, and the subject matter of art. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 79(2), 186-199. Web.
Jovanović, I. V. (2020). Kant on poetry and cognition. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 54(1), 1-17. Web.
Kant. I. (2000). Critique of the power of judgment. Cambridge University Press.
Lemos, J. (2021). Kant and recent philosophies of art. Kantian Review, 26(4), 567-582. Web.
Marino, S., & Terzi, P. (2020). Kant’s ‘critique of aesthetic judgment’ in the 20th century: A companion to its main interpretations. Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
Stocker, B., & Mack, M. (2018). The Palgrave handbook of philosophy and literature. Springer.