Immanuel Kant

Following my interest in the Aesthetics lectures, I looked into Kant who was mentioned in the lecture but also is well known for his essays on aesthetics.

Basic overview is four 'moments' that lead to the judgement of beauty. 1st is disinterest (we find something pleasurable because it is beautiful, not vice versa) 2nd is universality (agreement from all) 3rd is necessity (true because it follow a principle) and 4th is purposiveness (beauty must be purposive but not have a direct purpose. once we find that purpose we see beauty).

Can look at Kant's ideas as a subjective way of looking at beauty. IT is up to the individual's opinion and the feeling gained from the image. It must however have a common ground where everyone would agree it beautiful. So in a way could be described as subjective following an objective set of rules.

Often thought of as a formalist theory - links to Plato's theory of Forms and 20th century art critic Greenberg.
Contrast to Greenberg - Rosenberg (argued against formalism - about the concept and making of the art).