THE AESTHETIC VEHICLES, SUBJECTS, SPECTATOR, EMOTIONS AND MODE

Taking cues from: Baumgarten’s conception of aesthetics as an epistemological phenomenon ? theory of knowledge ? distinct from the ‘intellectual’ and ‘sensuous’ perspectives of knowledge; the Kantian theory of aesthetic judgment and categories of the beautiful and the sublime; and the variety of arguments prevalent in the field, the study specifically assessed the aesthetic: phenomena (vehicles) subject (spectator), emotions (feelings), interaction impacts, perceptions and attitude. Further analyses were also made from Schopenhauer and Nietzsche’s different hypothetical accounts from the phenomenological perspective. These provided insights into the aesthetic: vehicles encounter and impacts there from on the “aesthetic spectator(s)”.The predominant methods utilized by the study is the qualitative approaches of philosophical-language, logical, and analogical analysis; and documentary evidences which critically appraised the basic concepts, issues and arguments. Wonder (awe)-the beginning of sensitivity to things generally, is identified as that which evokes and sustains the aesthetic emotions in humans. It is phenomena-natural and or manmade which captivate and thrills the aesthetic emotions that are the vehicles of aesthetics. The aesthetic emotions evoked by the aesthetic vehicles could be beautiful, sublime and or ambivalent. The descriptions of these aesthetic emotions are aptly provided by Schopenhauer and Nietzsche’s different hypothetical account of how to be in an aesthetic mode.