Schiller's Aesthetic Theory Of Sublime

Schiller mainly discusses the concept of sublime in the following two articles written in 1793,"On Sublimity" and "Theory of the sublime".Following Kant,Schiller regards sublime as originating not from the object but rather from the subject.Sublime lies in the fact that one does not succumb to fate and bodily limit,but chooses to play freely in the world of the spirit.This paper consists of five chapters as well as introduction and conclusion.The first Chapter is a discussion on the notion of sublime of three important philosophers before Schiller,namely,Longinus,Burke and Kant.The second Chapter discusses the main components of the conception of sublime in Schiller's texts.It makes clear the notion from three different angles,namely,the nature of sublime,its characteristics and types of sublime.The third Chapter focuses on the notion of dignity as a manifestation of sublime.Section I introducts the development of the concept of dignity;Section II defines the notion as “calm in the pain” by looking into the masterpiece of "Laocoon and his Sons";Section III spells out how dignity is a manifestation of sublime.The fourth Chapter connects the notion of sublime with tragedy.The firstsection discusses how sublime can be the essence of tragedy;the second section analyzes how sublime connects tragedy with morality.The fifth Chapter discusses the role of sublime in aesthetic education.