The Sublime between Kant and Longin

Abstract

In Kant's and Longin's reflection on the sublime we come across certain parallels which seem to confirm the opinion of Danko GrliC that there has been no special progress on this field. It turns out that the postmodernists approach showes into oblivion the psychologistic aesthetics and its attitude towards the sublime in french (Boileau) and english (Burke) tradition. In Longin we can find no modernistic passion for changing the circumstances and improving mankind. The sublime with its effect doesn't call us up into the function of the subject of progress, but makes us feel that we are to take the position of an observer of a perfect natural theater. The moral law evoked by the sublime in Longin is »consolatio philosophiae«, while in Kant we have to deal with »moral enthusiasm«.