A Kantian Reading of the Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) manifests the aesthetic perception of Oscar Wilde in terms ofa choice between objective reality and subjective sensing. Wilde privileges the subjective over the objectivemodes of experience since he believes in the power of knowing through impulses. The novella continuouslycalls for the intuitive world of pleasure through subjective experience. In this world of detached reality,Dorian experiences the world non-purposively through subjective sensing. Non-purposive experiencecoincides with Immanuel Kant’s concept of disinterested free beauty which is perceived subjectively asdiscussed in the Critique of Judgement (1790). Hence, free beauty and the way of knowing through thesenses in Kantian terms seems to be the model for Wilde’s protagonist as Dorian’s judgements arisespontaneously. Such purposeless perceptions dominate Wilde’s novella and Dorian’s world of senses asaesthetic pleasure becomes a necessary supplement for Dorian’s life. Within this scope, this study aims toelucidate Kant’s theories in the Critique of Judgement (1790) as reflected in Wilde’s novella. However,Kant’s idea of a mutual agreement between rationally knowing and subjectively sensing seems to bedisregarded by the novelist, as Wilde perceives reality and objectivity as antagonists. It is with this critiquein mind that I have pursued the aesthetic aspect of Wilde’s novella. In this respect, this paper attempts toanalyse Wilde’s sensing the world as opposed to knowing it. Taking from Kant’s judgement, Wilde’sattempts to separate two ways of knowing is elucidated through the depiction of inner and outer spaces,Dorian’s attachment to his portrait and artistic objects, and detachment from reality as exemplified by thedeaths of Sibyl Vane, the actress and, Basil Hallward, the artist.