Page 34 - Studio International - October 1972

In particular, Fechner was interested in
Can aesthetic language and concepts that are used to describe and determining experimentally preferences for
evaluate works of art.
In the scientific approach to aesthetics,
preferences aesthetic phenomena, like other human proportions in geometric forms and in line
division; and tried to relate these to the
be quantified ? activities and interests, are considered as natural aesthetic doctrine of the 'golden section', i.e.,
phenomena which are subject to investigation by
that section of a linear segment which divides it
means of empirical inductive methods. The into two segments in such a way that the longer
investigations themselves and their results must segment is the mean proportional between the
be open to the inquiries of others so that they shorter segment and the whole segment.
Maurice Yaffe may be validated and verified. In experimental Apparently, the golden section (i :1.618) was
aesthetics it is necessary to set up impartial and supposed to possess some esoteric beauty by
objective hypotheses as far as possible, so that philosophers and aestheticians. Unfortunately,
observations and inferences may be controlled subsequent investigators (particuarly Lightner
systematically, rather than attempt to formulate Witmer in the United States) found that their
exact quantitative laws based on mathematically subjects came near to choosing the golden
precise measurements, as in the natural sciences. section, but no one actually chose it ! Results like
Experimental aesthetics (cf. philosophical these impressed researchers not to place too
aesthetics), as a field of inquiry, encompasses a much weight upon averages in search for an
Traditionally, there has been considerable broad area of investigation and cannot easily be aesthetic form. Nevertheless, it was shown that,
ambivalence in peoples' feelings towards the delimited; over the years though, the main in general : (i) the golden section and symmetry
psychological study of art. As James Hogg concern has been with the study, coordination are pleasing; (2) a division very near the middle;
points out in the recent book of readings he and integration of facts and theories considered and (3) one which makes the shorter line less
edited on this theme, 'On the one hand the to have relevance for the experience and creation than a quarter of the length of the whole line,
experience of art is felt to be so personal and of works of art. It should be pointed out, are displeasing. More recently, George Birkhoff,
private, and so intimately related to our however, that exponents of the scientific an American mathematician, attempted to
individual personality that no mere approach in aesthetics do not consider the organize this specific information under a few
psychological theory, let alone one dependent philosophical approach outdated or obsolete. general principles in his book 'Aesthetic
upon "objective" techniques, could possibly Indeed, the use of scientific method is in no way Measure', published in 1933. He made a bold
probe and elucidate its significance. On the incompatible with the philosophic aesthetics of attempt to provide a general formula for the
other hand the very fundamental nature of, and empirical naturalistic philosophy. measurement of all works of art : visual art,
importance we ascribe to, such experiences Throughout history great artists have from music, poetry and literature. According to
suggests that for any psychology to account time to time contributed to an understanding of Birkhoff, the amount of pleasure in any work of
successfully for the relations we form with the aesthetic phenomena. Some of them prepared art, which he calls the 'aesthetic measure' of an
world it must also say something about the involved treatises based upon analysis of their object, is given by the relation M =O/C where
function art serves'. It is hoped that the own or existing works of art. For example, M represents its aesthetic measure, 0 the
following discussion of these viewpoints will William Hogarth examined many forms of orderliness, and C the complexity. Birkhoff
reduce any cognitive dissonance and contrariety architecture as well as the lines of the human claims these three elements are related to the
in the reader's mind. figure, in search for a norm of beauty which he three phases in the aesthetic experiences he
General psychology provides a framework thought eventually he had found in the distinguishes as : (i) a preliminary effort of
within which aesthetics can focus its special serpentine line; and J. W. Goethe in his book attention to the object for perception to occur,
studies on the creation and appreciation of art `Farbenlehre' developed a sophisticated theory which increases directly with C; (2) the feeling
and related sorts of experience; and various of colour, relating moods and other psychological of gratification or M which rewards this effort;
aspects will be discussed to give the reader an effects to different colours. The turning point, and (3) a realization that the object is
insight into one kind of psychological approach however came in the 19th century. characterized by a particular harmony,
to the investigation of aesthetic phenomena, In 1876 a German psychologist named symmetry or 0.
namely the experimental one (sometimes called Gustav Fechner wrote a book entitled Unfortunately, Birkhoff never put his
quantitative, behaviouristic or psychometric), 'Vorschule der Aesthetik', considered by many formulation to the test. Subsequent research
with which a number of researchers have been to be the first definitive text where aesthetics workers, especially Hans Eysenck of the
preoccupied over the past hundred years or so. had been approached scientifically. Fechner Institute of Psychiatry in London, have shown
An outline of the present state of knowledge in proposed that a scientific approach to that the formula does not succeed very well in
this area will be given, along with the lines on aesthetics be substituted for the old abstract and predicting aesthetic preference judgements of
which future work is likely to be directed. speculative one. He made a distinction between large numbers of people. Three reasons are
According to the Oxford English Dictionary two different and opposite methods of aesthetic given for this failing :
the term aesthetics, derived from the Greek analysis : Aesthetik von Oben (aesthetics from 1. Eye movements are not smooth, as Birkhoff's
`aesthesis', came into modern usage through a above) and Aesthetik von Unten (aesthetics from theory requires. The eyes do not trace round
series of involved discussions by eighteenth- and below); in the former, which he proposed figures systematically producing tension which
early nineteenth-century German philosophers. aestheticians ought to adopt, investigation contributes to the complexity factor as Birkhoff
Originally referring to the examination of starts from general concepts and ideas and would have us believe.
sensuous perception, the expression is used descends to the particular, and was labelled 2. The general formula appears to be wrong.
nowadays more generally to mean the philosophy `philosophical'. On the other hand, the latter Eysenck has shown in a long series of
of taste or the perception of the beautiful, kind of aesthetics Fechner called empirical experiments that the aesthetic measure appears
especially in the fine arts, but also in nature (cf. because one commences with particulars and to correspond much closer to the product of the
the expression 'noesis' which refers to the ascends to the general. He saw these approaches order and complexity elements rather than the
science of the intellect, where the concern is as complimentary to one another and proposed ratio between them.
exclusively with cognitive material). For the that aestheticians should concern themselves 3. Birkhoff fails to take into account :
purpose of this article aesthetics is defined as with empirical study of observable data by (a) individual differences, i.e., some people
that area of philosophy which is concerned with the experimentation and quantitative measurement. appear to prefer aesthetic objects that are fairly
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