On some aesthetic ideas of I. Kant and V. Ivanov

The influence of Kantian philosophy on Russian thought is beyond doubt. In the article we must investigateone aspect of this effect - the influence of philosophy of Kant on the aesthetics of V. Ivanov. In what manner are the Kantian ideasinterpreted in texts of Ivanov? And if this influence really exists, what is its essence? For answering the questions, we must analysesome essential elements of Kantian aesthetics. Is interest in beauty connected with interest in the good? This is the question Kant neededto answer. Some people think that a man who likes beauty tries to establish moral goodness. Others think aesthetic men are passionate,vain, stubborn, and, therefore, interest in beauty is not combined with interest in the good. What does Kant himself think about thisquestion? He supposed that interest in beauty does not combine with interest in the good, but interest in the beauty of nature is a sign ofa good soul. One of the peculiarities of art is the fact that it harmonically describes things, which are ugly and disgusting in nature. Herewe must remember the aesthetics of ugliness. Even more vile things may be shown artistically, if they express a creative aesthetic idea.We imagine God symbolically, not schematically. The last point of view leads to anthropomorphism. But if we move off all the intuitivefrom the knowledge of God, we may come to deism; and this style of thought is unproductive, according to Kant. So, the Kantianinterpretation of the symbol absolutely corresponds to the tradition of European philosophy and may be described as sensible image ofabstract notion. Kant differs the notions ''beauty'' and ''moral good'', and in his philosophy the first depends on the second. The free mindof the Russian poet-symbolist could not agree with this idea, of course. The analysis of texts of Kant and Ivanov allows making aconclusion that the choice between Plato and Kant, made by Ivanov, was made in favour of the former. It is a wrong opinion that Platoopposed two worlds: the world of ideas and the world of things. Really, Plato's philosophy has a notion of the ''World Soul'', whichconnects the two worlds into a harmonious whole. As for Kant, in his aesthetics, which follows from his ontology, the world of beauty isopposed to the world of the good and submitted to it. This idea contradicts to the spirit of the free aesthetics.

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