The Philosophies of the Aesthetic Sublime

JUNE 2020

“The Philosophies of the Aesthetic Sublime” 

MAX LESTER

ARTICLES

Published June 2020

ABSTRACT

This article explores the Classical and Romantic philosophical theories of the 
sublime in the works of Longinus, Hegel, Burke, and Kant using architectural 
and art historical elements as a means of analysis. In studying these 
philosophers’ definitions of the sublime, from mathematical perfection to the 
ineffable chaos of nature, the sublime is seen to stem from various visual 
catalysts. While the sublime may not be caused by the same visual stimulus, 
the emotion of the sublime appears universal.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33682/snss-x37n
PDF

HOW TO CITE (CHICAGO):
Lester, Max. "The Philosophies of the Aesthetic Sublime." The Interdependent 1 (2020): 112-26. https://doi.org/10.33682/snss-x37n