Understanding the Roles of Genius and Taste in the Production of Beauty: A Kantian Approach to Artistic Intention

The intention of achieving objectives through art seemingly conflicts with Kant's tenet that judgments of taste should be devoid of conceptual determinations. According to Kant, beautiful art must be viewed as the product of genius, a rare gift of nature that operates through the work of aesthetic ideas. This prompts inquiries into the respective roles of genius and taste in the production of beautiful art. It has been proposed that genius is a mere concept, a universal capacity, or a collaborator with taste, but these accounts are found to be deficient. Drawing upon Kant's distinction between free beauty and adherent beauty, this paper demonstrates that genius is neither sufficient nor necessary to produce beautiful art. Furthermore, this paper investigates the significance of taste in artistic production, taking into consideration the autonomy and refinement of taste over time.