Description
Book SynopsisThis book is an introduction to aesthetics, from the perspective of analytic philosophy. It traces aesthetics from its ancient beginnings through the changes it underwent in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and the first half of the twentieth century. The responses in the 1960s of the cultural theories to these earlier developments are discussed in detail. Five traditional art evaluational theories, Beardsley's and Goodman's evaluational theories, and the author's own evaluational theoryare presented. Four miscellaneous topics are discussed - internationalist criticism, symbolism, metaphor, and expression.
Trade Reviewsharp writing, intelligent organization, and high standards of argumentation. Theodore Grayck, The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Winter 99 (57:1)
Table of ContentsPreface PART 1 - An Historical Introduction to Analytic Aesthetics 1.: Introductory Remarks 2.: The Theory of Beauty - Plato to the 19th Century Plato - St. Thomas Aquinas - The Eighteenth Century: Taste and the Decline of Beauty - Shaftesbury - Hutcheson - Burke - Hume - Alison - Kant - Summary - The Nineteenth Century: The Birth of the Aesthetic - Schopenhauer: 3.: The Aesthetic Attitude in the 20th Century The Aesthetic State: Psychical Distance - Aesthetic Awareness: Disinterested Attention - Aesthetic Perception: "Seeing As" - Summary and Conclusions: 4.: Metacriticism: Alternative to Aesthetic Attitude 5.: The Theory of Art - Plato to the 19th Century Introductory Remarks - Plato - Aristotle - The Nineteenth Century: New Directions - The Expression Theory of Art - What Is a Theory of Art?: 6.: 20th Century Theories of Art, 1914 to the 1950s A 20th Century Beauty Theory of Art: Clive Bell: A 20th Century Imitation Theory of Art: Suzanne Langer: A 20th Century Expressionist Theory of Art: R. G. Collingwood: Art as an Open Concept: Morris Weitz: PART II - Aesthetics in the 20th Century - 1960s to Present 7.: A Change of Directions and New Developments A New Direction for the Experience of Art A New Direction for the Theory of Art 8.: The Institutional Theory of Art The Earlier Version - The Later Version: PART III - Four Problems in Aesthetics 9.: Intentionalist Criticism 10.: Symbolism in Art 11.: Metaphor 12.: Expression PART IV - The Evaluation of Art 13.: 20th Century Theories of Evaluation Personal Subjectivism - Intuitionism - Emotivism - Relativism - Critical Singularism: 14.: Monroe Beardsley's Instrumentalism 15.: Nelson Goodman's Instrumentalism 16.: Another Kind of Instrumentalism Summary Epilogue
