Objektivní metoda v estetice Karla Čapka: paralely Deweyho pragmatismu

The Objective Method in the Aesthetics of Karel Čapek: Parallels With Dewey’s Pragmatism Karel Čapek is known as a pragmatist in the Czech philosophical context. This article deals with the pragmatic aspects of the Čapek’s aesthetics because he finished his university education with the dissertation ‘Objektivní metoda v estetice se zřením k výtvarnému umění’ (The objective method in aesthetics with regard to the visual arts). Compared with Art as Experience by John Dewey, Čapek clearly shows the inspiration of pragmatism. This article undertakes an overview of the possible pragmatic influences on Čapek’s conception of objective aesthetics, in which he also uses the traditional pragmatist terms ‘experience’, ‘situation’, and ‘event’. The comparison of his work with Dewey’s makes it clear how Čapek’s conception of objective aesthetics adapts these pragmatic terms. One can, however, reasonably speak only about pragmatic aspects in Čapek, not about pragmatic aesthetics as such.