ABSTRACT
UtitzandDessoirarethemosteminentGerman representativesofthatnewandpopularschoolofthought, anopenrevoltagainstorthodoxpsychologicalaesthetics, whichstartsfromtheobjectratherthanthesubject, fromtheworkofartitself,entirelydetachedfromhuman observation,ratherthan focussingitsinvestigationsonthe contemplativespectatororthecreativeartist,aschool thatinsistsvigorouslyonacompletedivorcebetween aesthetics, "Asthetik",andthegeneralscienceofart, "allgemeineKunstwissenschaft";andthatexaltsthe finishedproductsoftheartisticactivityattheexpenseof thepureanddisinterestedenjoymentofthebeautiful. Thislineofthought,whichconceivesthescientificinvestigationofaestheticphenomenatobeprimarilyaphilosophyofart,isnotbyanymeansanoveldeparturein thehistoryofaestheticspeculation.ItwastheunderlyingconceptionoftheworkofTaine,and,ifweliketo plungeyetdeeperintothepast,weshouldfinditagain atthebaseofHegel'sreflectioninthissphere;forthe mightymetaphysicianlimitstheentirerealmofthe beautiful,which,accordingtohim,isthepropersubjectmatterofaesthetics,to"theprovinceofart",andart itselfisconsidered,stillmorenarrowly,tobenothing but"fineart".1Thisdoctrinehas,however,beensuddenlyrevivedinrecentyears,andnowflourisheswithall theopulenceandintransigenceofanewandoriginal theory.
