CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2022
| Author | Laird, Rexton |
|---|---|
| Title | Bakhtin on Aesthetics and Political Responsibility |
| Summary | Given that politics in general has elements that can be aestheticized, speeches, rallies, posters, etc., and as an idea is necessarily symbolized in some way, how are we to distinguish between business as usual and pernicious applications of political aesthetics as propaganda? Is this aesthetic component always misleading? The description of authoritarian ‘politics as art’ may be a step in the right direction but remains too abstract and difficult to apply in practice. Mikhail Bakhtin’s idea of outsideness and authorship can be used to answer these questions in a clear way. Politics contains an essentially creative element, which is free and subjective, while propaganda and harmful ideologies obscure the role of subjectivity. I will first outline Bakhtin’s general aesthetics - outlining what I take to be his three main contributions: the hero, consummation (that is, finishing, making whole), and the so-called answerable act. I will then consider the significance of symbols, ‘heroes’, and political communities in making politics intelligible. Next, having defined the significance of these ideas in the Bakhtinian worldview, I willconsider what it means for politics to become ‘aestheticized’. Finally, having highlighted the incompatibility of ‘politics as art’ with both the qualities that make artworks unique and basic democratic principles, I will sketch an outline of how we should approach aesthetics in a democratic state to prevent a decline into demagoguery. |
| Supervisor | Weberman, David |
| Department | Philosophy MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2022/laird_rexton.pdf |
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