Basic Issues in Aesthetics

by Marcia Muelder Eaton

The aesthetic is an important part of human experience. Our responses to music or mountains are not merely leisure time activities; they give meaning to life. Philosophical aesthetics attracts people from different areas of interest including philosophy, art history, music, and theater. In this concise, well-written book, Marcia Muelder Eaton clearly speaks to readers of varied backgrounds, bringing this mixed audience to a point where they can share their special insights with one another. Presented so that even complex issues in aesthetics are accessible to novices, the volume is organized around the components of an aesthetic situation.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Art

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Taylor Bredenhof]

Clear and simple analytic overview of the issues philosophers of beauty and art wrestle over.

[Rick]

This is a good discussion of the value of art and artistic endeavor, and how it is determined.

[Nicole Geary]

A tidy summary in six chapters of the history of aesthetic study and reasoning, and my only conclusion is that we are still arguing over the proper way to identify an art object and which philosophy of appreciation is best. This is good stuff to know and have at hand as an artist, but it makes my head swim with all its deconstruction of terms. (Perhaps Deconstruction is the best way to go?)

It seems we pick and choose pieces of all movements of aesthetic appreciation and still have unresolved questions in each. I continue to find Danto's theories the most pertinent for me today, but this is a little like ascribing to a religion: I find this or that comforting, so I pick the one that best suits my needs.

[Wirawan Sukarwo]

Berbagai cabang, berbagai mazhab dalam estetika dibahas dengan baik dalam buku ini. Selain itu, penulis memberi rumusan sendiri mengenai definisi estetika yang selama ini dianggap sesuatu yang mustahil. Sebagai buku pengantar teori estetika, buku ini sangat baik menurut saya.

[Noora]

Mielenkiintoinen tenttikirja, joka herätti enemmän lisäkysymyksiä kuin antoi vastauksia.