Immer noch Barbaren?

What is beauty, really? What impact does art have on the development of humanity? What is the purpose of art at all? Artists continually grapple with these (and many other) questions. Friedrich Schiller also engaged in this self-reflection in his famous essay "On the Aesthetic Education of Man," written in a series of letters inspired by the violent excesses following the French Revolution. Initially, Schiller welcomed the Revolution with enthusiasm, hoping that it would allow the ideals of the Enlightenment to prevail across Europe. However, instead of working together peacefully towards a democratic society, the newly gained freedom unleashed the basest instincts in Schiller's contemporaries. Clearly, humanity was not yet ready for freedom. Schiller hoped that art would enable people to achieve freedom through the "refinement" of their character. Today, it is racist and nationalist ideologies that threaten our freedom and our liberal social order. What is the role of art in this situation? On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the International Schiller Days, the cultural anthropological discourse invited a continuation of Schiller's cultural anthropological engagement with aesthetics and the usefulness of art for our time. One author, one letter. The result is a collection of highly diverse political and aesthetic statements, calls to action, thought experiments, hopes, and manifestos from many different perspectives. This compilation offers a glimpse into the significance that art can and should have today. The new "Letters on the Aesthetic Education of Man" will be published in time for the festival's start in June 2019.