Can't Kill the Vibe: Against <i>Hope</i> in Aesthetic Discourse

Abstract In a recent paper, Nat Hansen and Zed Adams argue for an aesthetic discourse-governing principle they call Hope of Convergence. Inspired by the work of Stanley Cavell, they argue that when we speak with each other about the aesthetic value of an object, we hope that our attitudes about the object will converge. They characterize this shared hope as involving the exercise of rational capacities in the service of sharing feelings and attitudes, and as accommodating enough to sanction even acrimonious aesthetic exchanges. To establish their view, they critically discuss my view that aesthetic discourse is governed by a ‘vibing’ norm that I call Community: when we speak with each other about aesthetic value, we presuppose that we ought to vibe, or supportively engage with each other's individuality. Here I argue that Hansen and Adams's criticisms are unconvincing and that there are substantial reasons to abandon Hope.