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From Absolute Spirit to the Lived Body: A Critical Analysis of the Idealist System of Hegel’s Philosophy of Art in Light of Shusterman’s Theory of Somaesthetics
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Shahab Pazouki *   , Suhaila Kadhim Jasim Al-Saadouni , Seyed Hirad Mahmoudi Tabrizi |
| Research Institute of Arts & Iraninan Academy of art |
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Abstract: (22 Views) |
Hegel’s philosophy of art, as one of the most systematic and influential aesthetic theories of the modern period, is grounded in a profoundly idealist framework in which art is understood as the first stage in the manifestation of Absolute Spirit. Despite this systematic position, the Hegelian account of art has long been subject to various critiques. Among these, Richard Shusterman’s theory of somaesthetics, with its emphasis on the lived body and practical experience, presents a significant challenge to the idealist foundations of Hegel’s philosopy of art. The main problem addressed in this article is to examine how Hegel’s idealist system is criticized from the perspective of somaesthetics and to clarify the implications of this confrontation for contemporary aesthetics. The research adopts an analytical–comparative method based on library research. Accordingly, the study first explicates the fundamental principles of Hegel’s philosophy of art and then examines the main components of Shusterman’s somaesthetics. It subsequently identifies and analyzes the principal axes of Shusterman’s critique of Hegel’s view. The findings of the study indicate that Shusterman challenges the idealist foundations of Hegel along several key dimensions: the restriction of aesthetics to a “philosophy of fine arts” rather than a broader theory of aesthetic perception and experience; the neglect of the body and somatic experience in the explanation of art; the subordination of sense and materiality to concept and idea; the reinforcement of the pleasure/meaning dichotomy and the marginalization of aesthetic pleasure; the continuation of a Platonic attitude that diminishes the status of art in comparison with religion and philosophy; and the construction of a historical and hierarchical schema of the arts grounded in the duality of idea and matter. The overall outcome of these critiques is the articulation of an alternative horizon for contemporary aesthetics-one in which aesthetics is understood as a philosophy grounded in the lived body, practical experience, and everyday life. Within this framework, beauty is no longer confined to the domain of high art, and everyday aesthetic experiences are also recognized as legitimate objects of aesthetic reflection. Consequently, rather than placing exclusive emphasis on “thinking beautifully,” this perspective foregrounds the ideal of “living beautifully.” |
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| Keywords: lived body, aesthetic experience, somaesthetics, Absolute Spirit, Richard Shusterman, Hegel. |
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Full-Text [PDF 578 kb]
(9 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/11/1 | Accepted: 2026/05/24
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