Abstract
What does it mean for an experience to end? Guided by this question, I offer an interpretation of John Dewey’s notion of endings in Art as Experience and propose a perspective on the role of endings in aesthetic experiences. We often instinctively view endings as the final note in a sequence of events—disconnected from the moments that come before it. Dewey, however, sees them not as an isolated fragment but as part of the unity of an experience. His themes of doing and undergoing, as well as unity and wholeness, challenge conventional views of experience and encourage reflection on how we might play a more active role in shaping them. Building on Dewey’s perspective, I contend that the fulfillment of aesthetic experiences can be facilitated by balancing intentional engagement with openness to one’s environment and by approaching each encounter with a spirit of inquiry.
Recommended Citation
Imbong, Mary
(2023)
"The Aesthetics of Endings,"
Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture: Vol. 27:
No.
3, Article 4.
Available at:
https://archium.ateneo.edu/budhi/vol27/iss3/4
