The Paradox of Ugliness Revisited: Nietzsche’s Interpretation of Ancient Greek Tragedy


Karahan Balya G.

Disiplinlerarası Estetik Tartışmalar (Multidisciplinary Debates on Aesthtics), vol.1, pp.111-123, 2021 (Conference Book)

Abstract

Core discussions in the field of aesthetics have conventionally been shaped around the question of beauty. What beauty is or is not, whether aesthetic judgements of beauty are subjectively based and the extent of aesthetic judgments’ objective validity are some of the issues that have defined the framework of such discussions. However, just as the representation of beauty arouses aesthetic pleasure, ugliness can also be experienced as equally charming in an artwork. Thus, the representation of the ugly has recently arisen as a widely discussed issue in the field of aesthetics, sometimes referred to as the “paradox of ugliness.” But how could the artistic representation of something that would apparently be found ugly, or at least displeasing, nevertheless excite fascination and even be aesthetically appreciated? Or what is the value of the experience of ugliness in art, if there is any? The present paper aims to contribute to these discussions by shedding light on the paradox of ugliness from a Nietzschean perspective. In doing this, I will try to open up a space for debate concerning the status of the ugly in the aesthetic sphere with reference to Nietzsche’s account of ancient Greek tragedy as well as to key concepts of his later philosophy such as the will to power.