Aesthetics

A collection of Valéry’s writings on the making of “works of the mind”—in art, philosophy, history, and science

For Paul Valéry, art consisted of all that the mind makes for its own pleasure and use, not only works of art in the usual sense but also philosophy, history, and the pure sciences—in his words, all the “works of the mind.” This volume presents the opening lecture of his “Course in Poetics” at the Collège de France, along with other lectures, essays, and writings on aesthetics.

The Collected Works of Paul Valéry, the first collected edition of the writer in English, features new translations, the original French on facing pages for poetic works, and editorial notes.