Aesthetic Education Reconsidered or Please Don't Have an Aesthetic Experience!

Abstract

Several years ago, Jack Hobbsi in a brief article entitled Is Aesthetic Education Possible? raised the critical question as to whether or not the future direction of art education should continue to orient itself towards education. His summative remarks centered around the desirability for art education to pursue a social perspective rather than continuing to translate the many venues of aesthetic inquiry into educational practice, a feat which has proven to be both awesome and difficult.2 The concerns he raised then require a re-examination now, since aesthetic education continues to provide controversy for art education.3 The purpose here is to support Hobbs' original proposal and argue why a social as well as an historical perspective may be the more beneficial route for the future of art programs in our schools.