For people who would like to study art theory, there are three ways to step in. The first step is to read art museum's booklet for general understanding of artwork, which is the most easiest thing to do from understanding other author's opinions. This is meaningful because it is what we step into artwork and its relation to art world, however not very much motivational because staying audience level. The second step is to read more sophisticated art theory book to understand professional ways, which is one more step forward to be little more motivational. However, this step is merely trying to grasp the professional works, so we need to do deep dive into the professional ways. The last step is to build conceptual schemes as professional scholars can do, this last step needs to have professional training at least by reading actual reading material used in post secondary studies. The book 미학강의 written by Professor Emeritus 오병남, can help the reader to be like all of these steps in.
The author seems like doing aesthetics in analytic philosopher's tradition, especially specialized for history of aesthetics, translated many English aesthetics books introduced to South Korean scholarly world, and published some aesthetics books of lectures about his specialization. He writes clear and elegant way of composition, like many other analytic tradition scholars doing, many people rate his books almost 10 out of 10, clarity and specific manner are highlight of his books.
The most important feature of this book is that not only clarity, he helps readers to have definite account of doing academic aesthetics level, to introduce conceptual terms very clearly and more terms are introduced compared over other aesthetics books. As an example, many other books introduce terms like techne or muse, this book explains more of these, choreia, katharsis, mimesis, muse, enthousiasmos, techne, nomos, canon, kalon, and theoria. These kind of explanations make readers awaken for professional demand extended from reading this book seriously and it can lead them to step into scholarly level of doing aesthetic studies, it is highlight of this book's effect.
The topics covered in this book are: Western aesthetics's foundations of concepts, the beauty and its meanings, from tastes to aesthetic attitude, inspiration and mimesis, modern system and concept of art, imagination and art, the origin of modern aesthetics, the destination of modern aesthetics: Kant's theory of aesthetics, contemporary aesthetics: its method and actual works, Merlo-Ponty's aesthetics and art, philosophy of art critique and philosophy of art, the essence of art: is it possible for definition of art, the two flows of art and the concept of play, the future humankind and future art.
It follows the flow of art and art theories, art histories on ancient to contemporary, from the description of explanation to these topics and succintly introduces to various aesthetics conceptions on it. The university curriculum is corroborated into plate of this book, the satisfaction level is high.
The author is almost 1st generation of Korean professional art theorist and many doctor of philosophy holders were his students. His contribution and history of presenting lectures are found in this book, so any readers who finished this book completely can be one of the line of his students, to be like professional trained contemplator not only contemplating, but can argue about aesthetical discussions with clarity and systematically as well.
Read this book if you need professional reading material to prepare more sophisticated level of scholars's endeavor.