Schiller, Hume, and Aesthetic Semblance Page 4

Deception leads to a key point made by Hegel that is again in contrast to Schiller. While Schiller thinks that aesthetic semblance should not deceive, Hegel tries to show that it does. Hegel points out that, "artistic semblance has the advantage that in itself it points beyond itself, and refers us away from itself to something spiritual which it is meant to bring before the mind's eye" (11). While Schiller would feel that the semblance would point to the creator and the truth, Hegel claims that it can point anywhere. In other words, Hegel's notion of semblance denies its reality and thus claims that it has a deceptive nature.

Appearance, however, "does not give itself out to be deceptive, but rather to be real and true" (11). This is Hegel's main departure from Schiller and thus the main difference in their philosophies. While Schiller believes that aesthetic semblance can lead to the truth, Hegel feels that the immediate appearance is the truest form of reality.

The main disagreement thus lies with the function of aesthetic semblance. Schiller and Hegel agree that it exists but do not agree on where it points. Schiller finds great hope in the concept of aesthetic semblance. It allows us to enjoy and seek the truth; it is a positive notion. Hegel views semblance as deceptive. He thinks that semblance can lead one astray and finds appearance to be the truest form of reality. Hegel's adoption and transformation of Schiller's notion of aesthetic semblance offered additional well reasoned insight to the components of aesthetic judgment; however, Hegel was not able to establish a notion that was more concrete than the one that he was criticizing. In the end, the perception of the function of aesthetic semblance holds the answer for Schiller and Hegel.



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