ABSTRACT
I.THETHEORYOFEXPRESSION TheleadingGermanaestheticiansareunanimously
hostiletoCroce'sexpressionism.Dessoirwritesasfollows inacriticalreviewofatranslatedversionoftheEstetica: "WhenIreviewedCroce'sminorworksinthesepages,I accordedhisessaysunreservedpraise,butIamunfortunatelycompelledtodenyhisvalueasanhistorian andasystematicthinker."1ThetoneofVolkeltiseven moresevere."He[i.e.Croce]worksinvariablywith inexact,ambiguous,andunanalysedconcepts.The psychologicalgroundonwhichhemovesisofanobscurity thatonemeetsbutrarely.Heshowsastrikingblindness toalldelicateproblems."Andfinally,theidentificationofaestheticsandlinguisticisa"curiosity"of philosophy.z
WeareconcernedhereonlywithCroce'sclaimtohave madeasubstantialcontributiontoaesthetics,andnot withtherelationofhisworkonthissubjecttothe philosophicalsystemtowhichitbelongs.
