Beauty as an Excess of Intelligibility (original) (raw)

The paper explores the evolution of the role of artists from the Romantic era to the present, focusing on their transformation from interpreters of transcendent truths to purveyors of subrational impulses. The shift in artistic expression reflects broader philosophical changes influenced by figures like Darwin, Nietzsche, and Freud, ultimately leading to a disillusionment with beauty and the elevation of the banal. The author critiques contemporary art's lack of meaningful communication, arguing that its politicization and embrace of kitsch have undermined its ability to convey higher truths.