Abstract

How have the theories of aesthetics which were worked out in europe evolved in america? are there widely differing standpoints between european and american aestheticians? what herrmann tried to do, to shed light on these questions, was to look over the issues of "the journal of aesthetics and art criticism" since 1941. thomas munro, a pupil of john dewey and founder of the journal tried to provide in the united states a broader and more open-ended and undogmatic platform for aesthetics including such separate disciplines as philosophy, psychology, and cultural history. this interdisciplinary approach was an important part of his campaign against an a priori aesthetics. once this encyclopedic view concerning art and its theoretical understanding is adopted, one is in a position to go beyond the one-sided, partial, and dogmatic attitude in aesthetics that often dominates in european journals. the author concludes by considering an example that is closely related to contemporary aesthetics as well as to the present american scene. what is the reason that there have been so few articles on these contemporary art movements?