TY  - BOOK
AU  - Hochman, Leah
PY  - 2014
DA  - 2014//
TI  - ugliness of Moses Mendelssohn: aesthetics, religion and morality in the eighteenth century
T3  - Routledge Jewish studies series
PB  - Routledge
CY  - London
KW  - Portraits
KW  - Aesthetics, European
KW  - Aesthetics
KW  - Religious aspects
KW  - Arts and religion
KW  - Ugliness
KW  - History
AB  - "The Ugliness of Moses Mendelssohn examines the idea of ugliness through four angles: philosophical aesthetics, early anthropology, physiognomy and portraiture in the eighteenth-century. Highlighting a theory that describes the benefit of encountering ugly objects in art and nature, eighteenth-century German Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn tries to recast ugliness as a positive force for education and social progress. According to this theory, ugly objects cause us to think more and thus exercise our mental abilities. Known as ugly himself, he was nevertheless portrayed in portraits and in physiognomy as an image of wisdom, gentility, and tolerance. That seeming contradiction--an ugly object (Mendelssohn) made beautiful--illustrates the possibility of his theory that ugliness itself is a positive, even redeeming characteristic of great opportunity. Presenting a novel approach to eighteenth century aesthetics, this book will be of interest to students and scholars in the fields of Jewish Studies, Philosophy and History"--
SN  - 9781138781771
LA  - English
N1  - Leah Hochman
ID  - 1611729467
ER  -