AESTHETICS

A revised second edition of the bestselling anthology on the major figures and themes in aesthetics and philosophy of art, the ideal resource for a comprehensive introduction to the study of aesthetics

Aesthetics: A Comprehensive Anthology offers a well-rounded and thorough introduction to the evolution of modern thought on aesthetics. In a collection of over 60 readings, focused primarily on the Western tradition, this text includes works from key figures such as Plato, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, Danto, and others. Broad in scope, this volume also contains contemporary works on the value of art, frequently-discussed continental texts, modern perspectives on feminist philosophy of art, and essays by authors outside of the community of academic philosophy, thereby immersing readers in an inclusive and balanced survey of aesthetics.

The new second edition has been updated with contemporary essays, expanding the volume’s coverage to include the value of art, artistic worth and personal taste, questions of aesthetic experience, and contemporary debates on and new theories of art. This edition also incorporates new and more standard translations of Kant's Critique of the Power of Judgment and Schopenhauer's The World as Will and Representation, as well as texts by Rousseau, Hegel, DuBois, Alain Locke, Budd, Robinson, Saito, Eaton and Levinson.

• Presents a comprehensive selection of introductory readings on aesthetics and philosophy of art
• Helps readers gain a deep historical understanding and clear perspective on contemporary questions in the field
• Offers new essays specifically selected to promote inclusivity and to highlight contemporary discussions
• Introduces new essays on topics such as environmental and everyday aesthetics, evolutionary aesthetics, and the connections between aesthetics and ethics

Appropriate for both beginning and advanced students of philosophical aesthetics, this selection of texts initiates readers into the study of the foundations of and central developments in aesthetic thought.

STEVEN M. CAHN is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the City University of New York Graduate Center. He has authored or edited over 60 books. Most recently he wrote Philosophical Adventures, The Road Traveled and Other Essays, and Inside Academia: Professors, Politics, and Policies.

STEPHANIE ROSS is Professor Emerita of Philosophy at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She is the author of What Gardens Mean and papers on a variety of topics in aesthetics. Her new book, Two Thumbs Up: How Critics Aid Appreciation is forthcoming.

SANDRA SHAPSHAY is Professor of Philosophy at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, CUNY (City University of New York). She is the author of Reconstructing Schopenhauer's Ethics: Hope, Compassion, and Animal Welfare and has published on 18th-19th century theories of the sublime and tragedy as well as contemporary environmental aesthetics.

Preface List of Sources Part I: Historical Sources. 1. The Modern System of the Arts: Paul Oskar Kristeller. 2. The Ancient and Modern System of the Arts: James O. Young 3. Ion: Plato. 4. The Republic: Plato. 5. Symposium: Plato. 6. Poetics: Aristotle. 7. Ennead I, vi: Plotinus. 8. De Musica: St. Augustine. 9. On the Reduction of the Arts to Theology: St. Bonaventure. 10. Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times: Third Earl of Shaftesbury. 11. An Inquiry into the Origins of our Ideas of Beauty and Virtue: Francis Hutcheson. 12. Of the Standard of Taste: David Hume. 13. Of Tragedy: David Hume 14. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas on the Sublime and the Beautiful: Sir Edmund Burke. 15. Laocoon: Gotthold  Lessing. 16.   Critique of Judgment: Immanuel Kant. Part II: Modern Theories. 17.  Introduction to Modern Theories: Christopher Janaway and Sandra Shapshay. 18. Letter of an Aesthetic Education of Man: Friedrich Schiller. 19. Letter to D’Alambert on the Theater: Rousseau 20. G.W.F. Hegel, Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics 21.  The World as Will and Representation: Arthur Schopenhauer. 22. The Beautiful in Music: Eduard Hanslick. 23. The Birth of Tragedy: Friedrich Nietzsche. 24.  What is Art?: Leo Tolstoy. 25. 'Psychical Distance' as a Factor in Art and as an Aesthetic Principle: Edward Bullough. 26. Art: Clive Bell. 27.  The Principles of Art: R.G. Collingwood.  28. Art as Experience: John Dewey. 29. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: Walter Benjamin. 30. The Origin of the Work of Art: Martin Heidegger. 31. Aesthetic Theory: Theodor Adorno. 32.  Criteria of Negro Art: W.E.B. Dubois  33.  Art or Propaganda: Alain Locke Part III: Contemporary Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art. 34. Introduction – Stephanie Ross 35. The Artworld: Arthur Danto 36. What is Art? An Institutional Analysis: George Dickie 37. Art as a Cluster Concept: Berys Gaut  38. When is Art?: Nelson Goodman 39. Art and its Objects: Richard Wollheim 40. Varieties of Art: Stephen Davies 41. What a Musical Work Is: Jerrold Levinson 42. Fictional Characters as Abstract Artifacts: Amie Thomasson 43. Aesthetic Concepts: Frank Sibley 44. Categories of Art: Kendall Walton 45. The Myth of the Aesthetic Attitude: George Dickie 46. What is Aesthetic Experience: Alan Goldman 47. Artistic Value: Malcolm Budd  48. Beauty Restored: Mary Mothersill 49. Jerrold Levinson: Artistic Worth and Personal Taste  50. Style and Personality in the Literary Work: Jenefer Robinson. 51. Criticism and Interpretation: Noel Carroll 52. The Postulated Author: Critical Monism as a Regulative Ideal: Alexander Nehamas 53. Artistic Value and Opportunistic Monism: Eileen John  54. Emotions in the Music: Peter Kivy 55. Music and Emotion: Jenefer Robinson    56. Fearing Fictions: Kendall Walton. 57. Transparent Pictures: Kendall Walton  58. The Power of Movies: Noel Carroll 59. Oppressive Texts, Resisting Readers and the Gendered Spectator: Mary Deveraux 60. Feminist Philosophy of Art: A. W. Eaton 61. Appreciation and the Natural Environment: Allen Carlson 62. Everyday Aesthetics: Yuriko Saito 63. Aesthetic Value, Art, and Food: Carolyn Korsmeyer 64. Art and Aesthetic Behaviors as Possible Expressions of our Biologically Evolved Human Natures: Stephen Davies Index Preface List of Sources Part I: Historical Sources. 1. The Modern System of the Arts: Paul Oskar Kristeller. 2. The Ancient and Modern System of the Arts: James O. Young 3. Ion: Plato. 4. The Republic: Plato. 5. Symposium: Plato. 6. Poetics: Aristotle. 7. Ennead I, vi: Plotinus. 8. De Musica: St. Augustine. 9. On the Reduction of the Arts to Theology: St. Bonaventure. 10. Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times: Third Earl of Shaftesbury. 11. An Inquiry into the Origins of our Ideas of Beauty and Virtue: Francis Hutcheson. 12. Of the Standard of Taste: David Hume. 13. Of Tragedy: David Hume 14. A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas on the Sublime and the Beautiful: Sir Edmund Burke. 15. Laocoon: Gotthold  Lessing. 16.   Critique of Judgment: Immanuel Kant. Part II: Modern Theories. 17.  Introduction to Modern Theories: Christopher Janaway and Sandra Shapshay. 18. Letter of an Aesthetic Education of Man: Friedrich Schiller. 19. Letter to D’Alambert on the Theater: Rousseau 20. G.W.F. Hegel, Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics 21.  The World as Will and Representation: Arthur Schopenhauer. 22. The Beautiful in Music: Eduard Hanslick. 23. The Birth of Tragedy: Friedrich Nietzsche. 24.  What is Art?: Leo Tolstoy. 25. 'Psychical Distance' as a Factor in Art and as an Aesthetic Principle: Edward Bullough. 26. Art: Clive Bell. 27.  The Principles of Art: R.G. Collingwood.  28. Art as Experience: John Dewey. 29. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: Walter Benjamin. 30. The Origin of the Work of Art: Martin Heidegger. 31. Aesthetic Theory: Theodor Adorno. 32.  Criteria of Negro Art: W.E.B. Dubois  33.  Art or Propaganda: Alain Locke Part III: Contemporary Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art. 34. Introduction – Stephanie Ross 35. The Artworld: Arthur Danto 36. What is Art? An Institutional Analysis: George Dickie 37. Art as a Cluster Concept: Berys Gaut  38. When is Art?: Nelson Goodman 39. Art and its Objects: Richard Wollheim 40. Varieties of Art: Stephen Davies 41. What a Musical Work Is: Jerrold Levinson 42. Fictional Characters as Abstract Artifacts: Amie Thomasson 43. Aesthetic Concepts: Frank Sibley 44. Categories of Art: Kendall Walton 45. The Myth of the Aesthetic Attitude: George Dickie 46. What is Aesthetic Experience: Alan Goldman 47. Artistic Value: Malcolm Budd  48. Beauty Restored: Mary Mothersill 49. Jerrold Levinson: Artistic Worth and Personal Taste  50. Style and Personality in the Literary Work: Jenefer Robinson. 51. Criticism and Interpretation: Noel Carroll 52. The Postulated Author: Critical Monism as a Regulative Ideal: Alexander Nehamas 53. Artistic Value and Opportunistic Monism: Eileen John  54. Emotions in the Music: Peter Kivy 55. Music and Emotion: Jenefer Robinson    56. Fearing Fictions: Kendall Walton. 57. Transparent Pictures: Kendall Walton  58. The Power of Movies: Noel Carroll 59. Oppressive Texts, Resisting Readers and the Gendered Spectator: Mary Deveraux 60. Feminist Philosophy of Art: A. W. Eaton 61. Appreciation and the Natural Environment: Allen Carlson 62. Everyday Aesthetics: Yuriko Saito 63. Aesthetic Value, Art, and Food: Carolyn Korsmeyer 64. Art and Aesthetic Behaviors as Possible Expressions of our Biologically Evolved Human Natures: Stephen Davies Index