A Kantian Approach to Aesthetic Methodology: ‘Manner’ Instead of ‘Method’

In the Appendix to the Critique of the Aesthetic Power of Judgment (KU §60), titled “On the Methodology of Taste,” Kant argues that a doctrine of method preceding science cannot apply to aesthetic judgments of beauty, as “there cannot be any science of the beautiful” (KU, 5:355). Aesthetic judgments are not governed by principles but arise from a subjective feeling of pleasure or displeasure. Thus, they cannot be based on laws or fixed rules, making it impossible to teach aesthetic appreciation through a method of rule-following. This paper explores a potential avenue for applying “aesthetic methodology” by examining Kant’s distinction between method (modus logicus) and aesthetic manner (modus aestheticus). In the Critique of the Power of Judgment, Kant highlights this distinction in two specific contexts: the creative process of the artistic genius and the possibility of teaching such creativity. I discuss these contexts as two dimensions of aesthetic judgment, proposing that the creative process of the genius offers the viewer valuable insights into the aesthetic judgment process. Finally, I argue that there is a direct connection between the idea of humanity and our aesthetic commitment. The way we practice our humanity is expressed through ‘aesthetic methodology,’ realized in concrete judgments of beauty.