The ‘Aesthetic’ between Experience and Social Critique. Dewey, Adorno, and Some Possible Intersections

One of the main issues of aesthetics today is the heterogeneity of the concept of the ‘aesthetic’ itself, which can dialectically lead to both enrichment and loss of meaning. Since experience is entangled in this dialectic, the aim of this paper is to focus on two important questions that concern the aesthetic. First, how can the experiential dimension of the aesthetic be understood? And second, how could such experience be configured as an aesthetic comportment with a very critical task, that is, to critique society? These questions will be analysed by comparing John Dewey’s concept of pragmatism in "Art as Experience" to Theodor W. Adorno’s critical theory in "Ästhetische Theorie". Although these thinkers use philosophically distinct methods, I will demonstrate that they both highlight the experiential dimension of the aesthetic, which functions as a form of social critique. Not only does this display how pragmatism can enter into dialogue with other philosophical traditions, but it also demonstrates how aesthetics and a critical reflection on society are two of the most fruitful fields for such dialogue.