Hermeneutic Phenomenology of Great Art; Heidegger's Attempt to Transcend Aesthetics

Heidegger believes that metaphysical understanding of art and aesthetic theories have a fundamental influence on our relationship with art and works of art. This issue has spread both to the field of understanding of works of art (as an audience) and to the field of creation of works of art (as a creator). The path that Heidegger offers to go beyond aesthetics and even beyond subjectivism is the "hermeneutic phenomenology of great works of art". This path, from his viewpoint, is the only way to approach the essence of art. In this phenomenological path, he reaches a circle. A circle where one side is the truth of art and the other side is the work of art. This paper seeks to examine how Heidegger, through a phenomenological-hermeneutical analysis of some great works of art, shows that it is possible to phenomenologically investigate the essence of art and take a step towards discovering the truth of art. In this regard, this paper tries to recognize some inherent elements of art. "The happening of truth in the work of art" and "set up the world as a result of the work of art" are among these inherent elements.