An “ecological” view of styles of science and of art: Alois Riegl’s explorations of the style concept

This paper compares the views of styles of science of Alistair Crombie and Ian Hacking with the notion of styles of art, as developed by Alois Riegl at the end of the 19th Century. Important similarities are noted, notably in the conceptualization of the autonomy of styles. Riegl developed in particular the notion of Kunstwollen (“will to art”), which encompasses an implied relation to the world, in both a cognitive and an ethical sense, and a relation to the public of art. The latter aspect will be examined as the “role of the spectator”. Finally, a number of Riegl’s view on art are tentatively applied to styles of science.

► With six styles in hand, the philosopher is “splitting”, whereas the historian is “lumping”. ► The rationality of one style cannot be reduced to the rationality of another. ► “Decadent” late Roman art showed important innovations in comparison to classical Greek art. ► Any work of art asks for a certain way to be viewed. ► Styles of science emerged from the interaction between science and its audiences.