The boundaries of the spectator's emancipation

Bibliogr. s. 78

A relatively recent text by Jacques Rancière, published in 2008, entitled "The Emancipated Spectator," raised international interest by putting in the centre of theatrical and philosophical debate an innovative (at least according to the author) approach to the perceiving theater audience. This innovation hangs upon the postulate of emancipation. The emancipated spectator becomes a creator of varied sensual impressions, which results from the fusion of stimulants coming both from the spectacle and from the individual character of perception. Rancière asks whether the ideas of teaching proposed by Jacotot in early 19th century (described by Rancière in his earlier book The Ignorant Schoolmaster) may be, in some way, useful to the contemporary artistic reflection. In my text I intend to present and critically discuss Rancière's reasoning drawing upon an analogy between the theatre before the spectator's emancipation and traditional pedagogy.