From Either/Or article:
| Aesthetic | Ethical |
|---|---|
| Defined by immediacy: the failure to reflect seriously upon the nature of one's way of living | Defined by critical reflection: able to make and take moral responsbility and accountability for his life choices |
| Sees the outer existence as more important: The self is entirely subject to external factors | Sees the inner existence as more important: The self shapes one's own character, values, inclinations, and personal identity; thus, the self is partially subject to internal factors |
| Accepts passively that one's life is based entirely upon external factors | Willing to take active control of one's life |
| Tends to avoid commitments as boring | Commitments, like friendship and marriage, are cornerstones of a responsible ethical way of existence. |
| Exhaustion of aesthetic pleasure leads to boredom and despair | Strives to become a better human being through taking an active role in shaping oneself and one's manner of life. |
I don't think the two are contradictory.
Articles I've created
Barbara Rose, Films Beget Films, Moscow Conceptualists, Jay Leyda, Cinema 1: The Movement Image, Karen Kilimnik, Paul Pfeiffer, Walter Hopps, Ferus Gallery, New Painting of Common Objects, BANK, Post-YBAs, Matthew Higgs, Oliver Payne and Nick Relph, Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, Catherine Sullivan, Lali Chetwynd, Mark Leckey, Saskia Olde Wolbers, Roderick Buchanan, Bedwyr Williams, Andrew Grassie, Miriam Schapiro, Runa Islam, Maria Lassnig, Gary Webb (artist), John Hoyland, Colter Jacobsen, Lothar Baumgarten, Bad Painting, Helen van Dongen, Chick Strand, 20th century lyric poetry, Mary Kelly (artist), Kenneth Durant.