Philosophische Schriften

During his 40 years at the Universities of Vienna and Prague, Christian von Ehrenfels focused on aesthetics, though he published only a few essays opposing the emerging naturalistic movement in art theory. A devoted follower of Richard Wagner, Ehrenfels primarily examined musical works of art. The first part of this new edition includes essays from his earlier creative period (1891-1906), along with a theoretical monograph on choral drama, a significant topic for him as most of his literary work was in this medium. The second part features substantial aesthetic investigations from Ehrenfels’ scientific Nachlass, published for the first time. It includes three manuscripts, with the first being a lecture course on Wagner delivered in Vienna in 1896. The remaining pieces address general aesthetic issues, where Ehrenfels elaborates on the various preconditions necessary for making an aesthetically evaluative judgment. He also affirms the existence of absolute beauty. This work will interest philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, philologists, and historians of art and music.