Oswald Külpe’s contribution to aesthetics

„Ein merkwüdiges Geschick ruht auf der Ästhetik. Ihr Gegenstand ist so bekannt und geschätzt, wie kaum ein zweiter. Sie selbst aber ist so unbeliebt, wie kaum eine andere Wissenschaft.“ Oswald Külpe (1921, S. 1).

“A strange fate rests on aesthetics. Its subject matter is as well known and valued as hardly any other. But it itself is as unpopular as hardly any other science.” Oswald Külpe (1921, p. 1).

Oswald Külpe (1862-1915) was a German psychologist, who became famous by founding the so-called Würzburg School. Among other topics, he studied experimental psychology under Wilhelm Wundt in Leipzig, where, in 1887, he received his doctorate. In 1894 he became a professor of philosophy and aesthetics in Würzburg. Somewhat later, in 1896, he founded a psychological laboratory. He trained numerous influential psychologists, including Max Wertheimer, the founder of Gestalt Psychology, Narziss Ach, and Henry Watt. Külpe and his students were the first to investigate thinking by applying experimental introspection. With this method, Külpe and his students discovered that thoughts can be imageless, which was a relevant result for the later development of Cognitive Psychology.

In 1909 Külpe moved to Bonn, and subsequently, in 1914, to Munich, where he became the successor of Theodor Lipps, who has been famous for his ‘Einfühlungstheorie’ (theory of empathy). In his later years, Külpe worked on philosophical problems and aesthetics. He also published some articles on aesthetics (see the list below). After his death, Sigfried Behn published a book ‘Grundlagen der Ästhetik’, (foundations of aesthetics), which collects some of Külpe’s hitherto unpublished writings on aesthetics. Because Külpe’s work on aesthetics is not well known, presumably, because this book is not easily accessible, we provide this book in different electronic versions.

Külpe, O. (1921). Grundlagen der Ästhetik. Leipzig: S.Hirzel. <html> <epub> <mobi> <pdf (facsimile, 7 MB)>

Oswald Külpe’s published writings on aesthetics

  1. Über Richard Wagners Kunsttheorie. Beilage zur Allgemeinen Zeitung, 1896, 4, 5.
  2. Über den assoziativen Faktor des ästhetischen Eindrucks. Vierteljahrsschrift für wissenschaftliche Philosophie, 1899, 23, 145-183. <pdf>
  3. Die ästhetische Gerechtigkeit. Preußische Jahrbücher, 1899, 98, 264-293. <pdf>
  4. Rezension von K. Groos: Der ästhetische Genuß. Göttingische gelehrte Anzeigen, 1902, 896-919. <pdf>
  5. Ein Beitrag zur experimentellen Ästhetik. American Journal of Psychology, 1903, 14, 215-231 (479-495). <pdf>
  6. Anfänge psychologischer Ästhetik bei den Griechen. Philosophische Abhandlungen, Max Heinze zum 70. Geburtstage gewidmet. Berlin 1906. <pdf>
  7. The Conception and Classification of Art from a Psychological Standpoint. University of Toronto Studies. Psychological Series, 1907, 2. <pdf>
  8. Der gegenwärtige Stand der experimentellen Ästhetik. Bericht über den II. Kongreß für experimentelle Psychologie in Würzburg 1906 (Leipzig 1907), 1-57. <pdf>
  9. Über ästhetische Erziehung. Baltische Frauenzeitung, December 1907.
  10. Die experimentelle Ästhetik. Die Grenzboten, 1912, 71, 456-466. <pdf>
  11. Ernst Meumann und die Ästhetik. Zeitschrift für pädagogische Psychologie und experimentelle Pädagogik, 1915, 16, 232-238;
    cf.: Comment. Ibid., 1916, 17, 169-170. And for clarification. Archiv für die gesamte Psychologie, 1916, 155.