Abstract

The article contributes to the debate on Object-Oriented Ontology (OOO) in Italy, focusing on Graham Harman’s aesthetics. It develops three main points: OOO’s idea of objects, theory of beauty, and figure-ground relation. OOO’s positions are compared with the phenomenological perspective, highlighting discrepancies and points of contact. Harman’s theory of the quadruple object raises ontological and relational issues; the same can be said about OOO’s idea of part-whole relationships. However, Harman’s view of beauty as metaphor and the central role of the human beholder in aesthetic experience offer intriguing reflections and challenges for phenomenology.