Kant on Disinterest and Aesthetic Judgement : Beauty and Desire

In the first in-depth analysis of Kant’s notion of disinterest, Nick Zangwill provides a compelling defense of the cornerstone of Kant’s aesthetic theory.

Each chapter deals with particular sections from Kant’s Critique of the Power of Judgment. Zangwill draws on Kant’s notion of subjective universality and unfolds the thesis that the pleasure in beauty is disinterestedness. He discusses the interests in the agreeable and the good, takes into account empirical and intellectual interests in beauty and considers beauty’s contribution to society, sociability and morality.

Through close readings of Critique, Zangwill presents a critical evaluation of Kant’s theory and the aspects which we should still be accepting and those which should be abandoned. This is a needed, comprehensive examination of disinterestedness that effectively engages with recent literature from both contemporary aesthetics and Kant scholarship, bridging the gap between the two fields.