CENTRE FOR NEWFOUNDLAND STUDIES TOTAL OF 10 PAGES ONLY MAY BE XEROXED (Without Author•s Permission) THE QUEST FOR WHOLENESS SCHILLER'S CONCEPT OF ALIENATION REVISITED by © Mami Kubota A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Philosophy Department Memorial University ofNewfoundland September 2005 St. John's Newfoundland Abstract This thesis examines Schiller's Letters on the Aesthetic Education ofMan, and revisits his concept of alienation, a key to understanding his controversial rhetoric. I argue that his terminology - in which words have many meanings - may be understood in light of his dualistic view of humanity and his historical view of human progress. In his view of dualism and dialectic progress, Schiller sees either a fragmented or united human condition, and changes the meaning of his words depending on which era or state he is discussing. He holds that the aesthetic (holistic) education of man is vital in overcoming alienation, and contends we should use what he calls the play drive, a mental state equidistant from sense and reason, in all aspects of life, just as artists do when realizing the combination of mind and matter. For Schiller, ultimate social reform must start from the foundation of such a synthesized psyche, since this is the only way to build the bridge between the ideal and real, to realize humanity's dreams of freedom. 11 Acknowledgments I wish to thank my supervisor, Dr. James Bradley, for his intellectual and practical assistance during the research and writing of this thesis. His patient guidance inspired me to conduct a close reading ofthe works of Schiller, and contributed greatly to the product of my research. A special thanks to my examiners, Dr. Suma Raj iva and Dr. Antoinette Stafford, for their kind comments and helpful suggestions. I also wish to thank Dr. Peter Harris for his kindness in proofreading the manuscript and offering helpful suggestions. Any remaining errors and omissions are entirely my own responsibility. 111 Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................ ii Acknowledg:rnents ..... L.... .. .. .. .. .. .. 111 List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vi Introduction . .. .. .. 1 Chapter 1 The Definition of The Fragmented World 1.1 Holism . .. ... .. ........ .. .. .. ..... ... .... .. ... .. ... .. .. ... ... .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. 11 1.2 Frag:rnentation ................................................................................................. 13 1.3 The Division of Labour ... .... ... .... ...... ... .. .. ... .. ... .. .. ....... ........ .. .. .. .. 17 1.4 Micro Levels of Fragmentation . .. ... .. 18 1.5 Macro Levels of Frag:rnentation ..................................................................... 22 1. 6 Reason and Sense . 24 1.7 The Sensuous and Formal Drives .................................................................. 27 1.8 State of Reason . ................. .......... ................... .. ............ ..................... ..... ... 31 Chapter 2 Human Stages of Development 2.1 The Meaning of History ................................................................................. 3 5 2.2 Reflections: Resistance in the Frag:rnented Era .............................................. 41 2.3 Stage 1: A State of Nature - Before Civilization ........................................... 45 2.4 Stage 2: An Age of Trru;tsition - Ancient Greece ........................................... 48 2.5 Stage 3: A Natural State- Provides Only Physical Necessities ..................... 54 2.6 Stage 4: The Aesthetic State .......................................................................... 56 Chapter 3 Terminology- Fragmentation and Wholeness 3.1 Fragmentation in Language ........................................................................... 59 3 .2 Reason ........................................................................................................... 64 3.3 Nature ............................................................................................................ 69 3.4 Civilization .................................................................................................... 80 3.5 Freedom ......................................................................................................... 83 1V Chapter 4 Schiller's World of Dualism 4.1 Dual and Dialectic Attitude ........................................................................... 88 4.2 Two Kinds of Ideality .................................................................................... 98 4.3 Two Kinds of Truth..................................................................................... 100 4.4 Realist and Idealist ....................................................................................... 103 4.5 Two Kinds.ofRevolution ............................................................................ 105 4.6 Two Kinds of Aesthetic Semblance ............................................................ 108 4.7 Two Kinds of Art ......................................................................................... 112 4.8 Two Kinds ofWorks of Art ......................................................................... 115 4. 9 Tragedy and Comedy . .. ... .. .. 11 7 4.10 Two Kinds of Form ................................................................................... 120 4.11 The Metaphor of War ................................................................................ 123 4.12 Two Kinds of Ideal Beauty ........................................................................ 132 4.13 Objectivity of Beauty ................................................................................. 13 8 4.14 Freedom and Regulation ............................................................................ 143 4.15 Nature and Duty I Principle and Practice . ... .... .. ......... .. .... .. .. .. ... .. 151 4.16 Love as Beauty ........................................................................................... 154 Chapter 5 Play as the Perfection of Humanity 5.1 True Play ..................................................................................................... 158 5.2 Contemplation ............................................................................................. 164 5.3 Shaftesbury .................................................................................................. 168 5.4 Moritz .......................................................................................................... 171 5.5 Kant ............................................................................................................. 173 5.6 Conclusion- Is Play Realistic? ..................................................................... 175 Bibliography .................................................................................................................. 182 v List of Tables Table 1.1 Three States ..................................................................................................... 32 Table 4.1 Wilkinson and Willoughby's Three Kinds of Synthesis ........................... 88 - 89 Table 4.2. Regarding Historical Distinctions ................................................................. 91 Table 4.3. Regarding Synthesis ........................................................................................ 91 Table 4.4. Dialectic Terminology ..................................................................................... 95 Table 4.5 Schiller's Categorization of Revolutions ....................................................... 106 Table 4.6 Nature in Artfulness ...................................................................................... 113 Table 4.7 Schiller's Ideality and the Ideal Work of Art ................................................ 115 Table 4.8 Wilkinson and Willoughby's Three Term Relationship ............................... 128 Table 4.9 Revision of Wilkinson and Willoughby's Living Organism Schema ........... 129 Table 4.10 The Schema of Table 4.8 Applied to the Matter and Form Relation .......... 129 Table 4.11 Ideal Beauty ................................................................................................. 134 Table 4.12 Schiller's Categories ofBeauty ................................................................. 136 Table 4.13 Under the Three Kinds ofBeauty ................................................................ 142 Table 4.14 Freedom and Regulation .............................................................................. 144 Table 4.15 Under the Three Drives ................................................................................ 152 Table 5.1 Three Kinds of Play ....................................................................................... 161 Table 5.2 Two Kinds of Reality .................................................................................... 176 Vl The nature of the language (precisely its tendency to the universal) must be fully submerged in the form given to it, the body must lose itself in the idea, the sign in the indicated, the reality in the appearance. Free and victorious must that to be presented stride forth from the presenting, and, despite all fetters of language, stand there in its entire truth, liveliness