Breviary of Aesthetics: Four Lectures

144 Pages·2007·1.6 MB·English

by  Benedetto Croce

BREVIARY OF AESTHETICS
THE LORENZO DA PONTE ITALIAN LIBRARY
General Editors
Luigi Ballerini and Massimo Ciavolella,
University of California at Los Angeles
Honorary Chairs
✝Professor Vittore Branca
Honorable Dino De Poli
Ambassador Gianfranco Facco Bonetti
Honorable Anthony J. Scirica
Advisory Board
Remo Bodei, University of California at Los Angeles
Lina Bolzoni, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
Francesco Bruni, Università di Venezia
Giorgio Ficara, Università di Torino
Michael Heim, University of California at Los Angeles
✝Amilcare A. Iannucci, University of Toronto
Rachel Jacoff, Wellesley College
Giuseppe Mazzotta, Yale University
Gilberto Pizzamiglio, Università di Venezia
Margaret Rosenthal, University of Southern California
John Scott, University of Western Australia
Elissa Weaver, University of Chicago
BREVIARY OF AESTHETICS:
FOUR LECTURES
BENEDETTO CROCE
Introduction by Remo Bodei
Translated by Hiroko Fudemoto
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS
Toronto Buffalo London
www.utppublishing.com
© University of Toronto Press Incorporated 2007
Toronto Buffalo London
Printed in Canada
ISBN 978-0-8020–9771-2
Printed on acid-free paper
The Lorenzo Da Ponte Italian Library
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Croce, Benedetto, 1866–1952.
Breviary of aesthetics: four lectures / Benedetto Croce;
introduction by Remo Bodei; translated by Hiroko Fudemoto.
(Lorenzo da Ponte Italian library series)
Translation of: Breviaro di estetica.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8020-9771-2
1.Aesthetics. I.Fudemoto, Hiroko II.Title. III.Series
B3614.C73B7413 2007 701.1 C2007-902830-6
This volume is published under the aegis and with the financial
assistance of Fondazione Cassamarca, Treviso; Ministero degli Affari Esteri,
Direzione Generale per la Promozione e la Cooperazione Culturale;
Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, Direzione Generale
per i Beni Librari e gli Istituti Culturali, Servizio per la promozione
del libro e della lettura.
Publication of this volume is assisted by the Istituto Italiano Di Cultura, Toronto.
University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial assistance to its
publishing program of the Canada Council for the Arts and the
Ontario Arts Council.
University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial support for its
publishing activities of the Government of Canada through the
Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP).
In breve –
per M.
Without the previous aesthetic intuitions of fantasia, nature can
stimulate none. A man faced with natural beauty is just Narcissus
at the fountain.
Estetica, 98
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
remo bodei
Translator’s Introduction xxvii
hiroko fudemoto
Breviary of Aesthetics
Preface 3
1 ‘What is Art?’ 5
2 Prejudices about Art 26
3 The Place of Art in the Spirit and Society of Man 43
4 Criticism and the History of Art 58
Notes 73
Index 97
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Acknowledgments
That which is ‘written poorly, is poorly thought.’ So wrote Croce in Estet-
ica come scienza dell’espressione, referring to parts of a text that were inade-
quately expressed. Where the present translation succeeds is properly
due to the philosopher’s own symmetry of words in addition to the
indispensable (and fortunate) corrections, and invaluable comments, of
those who generously gave of their time to read the manuscript while it
was still a work in progress and to whom I remain grateful. I would like
to extend a sincere word of appreciation to University of Toronto Press,
specifically to Ron Schoeffel for his amiable patience and good faith, as
well as for the laudable suggestions of the (anonymous) readers for the
Press and the copy editor, Miriam Skey, each of whom truly helped to
better this translation. I would also like to extend cordial thanks to Rich-
ard Ratzlaff, assistant managing editor at the Press, for his guidance of
this volume. I send a friendly thank you to Professors Donald Beecher
(Carleton University), Brian Copenhaver (UCLA), and Michael Heim
(UCLA) for their sound advice whenever solicited. Finally, a very special
thank you to Professor Remo Bodei (UCLA) for the generosity of his
wise counsel.