Philosophy & Rhetoric Dec 2023

Kairos , The Sire of Beauty

SeungJung Kim University of Toronto

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite the common understanding of kairos as a temporal concept, it also harbors a spatial notion that holds particular significance in relation to Greek visual arts. The inquiry into its primary role in the formation of aesthetic beauty requires a phenomenological reading of the Lysippan personification of the concept, as it resonates with its counterparts in the fields of philosophy, rhetoric, and medicine. Using Andrew Stewart’s suggestion as a starting point—that the Lysippan Kairos may serve as the artist’s manifesto, consciously constructed in response to the earlier Polykleitan Canon—the evidence for kairos as the sire of beauty is shown to reside not only in its principal role in characterizing the perfect proportion and harmony, but also in its relationship to somatic intuition and sensory understanding, implicating the viewer as a key participant in the process.

Journal
Philosophy & Rhetoric
Published
2023-12-31
DOI
10.5325/philrhet.56.3-4.0274
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical criticism argument editorial matter
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