If aesthetic theory is considered useful only to the extent that it reflects the historical development of its objects, then a theory of the avant-garde is today a necessary component for theoretical reflections on art. Here, it refers globally to those particular analyses and, thus, can henceforth forgo specific references. However, the dimension of these reflections is different. They are not intended to supplant those particular analyses, but rather to offer a categorical framework that allows for them. Similarly, examples from literature and the visual arts should not be understood merely as historical and sociological interpretations of specific works, but as illustrations of a theory.