“He Who Sees Does Not Desire to Imagine”: The Shifting Role of Art and Aesthetic Observation in Medieval Franciscan Theological Discourse in the Fourteenth Century
Oleg V. Bychkov
In the thirteenth century, following Neoplatonic and Patristic trends, art aesthetic experience were still treated as symbolic, “vestiges” or “echoes” of divine that lead us to it. However, in early fourteenth attitudes concrete sensory/aesthetic begin shift theologians adopted model phenomenal observation sensory experience. Concrete sensory-aesthetic is endowed with a much higher value: seeing something not same imagining it, recalling thinking about This new approach results some heterodox views our debates exact status “intentional” (phenomenal) appearance. These profound observations nature aesthetic-sensory objects re-evaluation artistic image, which now seen more than platonic “copy copy”. other words, starting start pay attention (sensory) use their make conclusions various cognitive perceptual issues could be relevant discussion divine. That is, quite separately from theoretical theological observations, provide independent approaches spiritual via wonder point. It starts train thought, at times leading unorthodox contradict doctrine (such skeptical point view). The intellectual treating century invites parallels current discussions “post-secular” thought.
Religions