Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art The Analytic Tradition, An Anthology

Praise for the First Edition

"A sparkling compilation of essential readings, balancing classics in analytic aesthetics with recent developments, all skilfully arranged to capture every reader's interests. An incomparable achievement." Dominic McIver Lopes, University of British Columbia

"[T]hey have done a superb job of compiling the key texts in contemporary analytic aesthetics in a volume that is sure to remain the standard reader for a long time to come." Anna Christina Ribeiro, Texas Tech University

"To my knowledge, Lamarque and Olsen's anthology is the most comprehensive and judiciously put-together collection of its kind to date. It includes all of the authors one can think of on anyone's list of the major contributors to the late twentieth-century analytic tradition in aesthetics and philosophy of art. It is both deep and broad. If you are going to a desert island, and baggage space is limited, this is definitely the collection on the subject you want to take with you." Peter Kivy

For over fifty years, philosophers working within the broader remit of analytic philosophy have developed and refined a substantial body of work in aesthetics and the philosophy of art, securing a core foundation of scholarship which offers rigor and clarity on matters of profound and perennial interest relating to art and all forms of aesthetic appreciation. Now in its second edition and thoroughly revised, Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art—The Analytic Tradition: An Anthology captures this legacy in a comprehensive introduction to the core philosophical questions and conversations in aesthetics.

Through 57 key essays selected by leading scholars Peter Lamarque and Stein Haugom Olsen, this anthology collects modern classics as well as new contributions on essential topics such as the identification and ontology of art, interpretation, values of art, art and knowledge, fiction and the imagination, and the aesthetics of nature. New to this edition are selections which treat aesthetic experience more widely, including essays on aesthetic testimony, imaginative resistance, and aesthetics in everyday life. Other carefully-chosen pieces analyze in detail the practice and experience of specific art forms, including painting, photography, film, literature, music, and popular art such as comics.

This bestselling collection is an essential resource for students and scholars of aesthetics, designed to foster a foundational understanding of both well-established and contemporary debates in the field.

For over fifty years, philosophers working within the broader remit of analytic philosophy have developed and refined a substantial body of work in aesthetics and the philosophy of art, curating a core foundation of scholarship which offers rigor and clarity on matters of profound and perennial interest relating to art and all forms of aesthetic appreciation. Now in its second edition and thoroughly revised, Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art—The Analytic Tradition: An Anthology captures this legacy in a comprehensive introduction to the core philosophical questions and conversations in aesthetics.

Through 57 key essays selected by leading scholars Peter Lamarque and Stein Haugom Olsen, this anthology collects modern classics as well as new contributions on essential topics such as the identification and ontology of art, interpretation, values of art, art and knowledge, and fiction and the imagination. New to this edition are selections which treat aesthetic experience more widely, including essays on the aesthetics of nature and aesthetics in everyday life. Other carefully-chosen pieces analyze the practice and experience of specific art forms in greater detail, including painting, photography, film, literature, music, and popular art such as comics.

This bestselling collection is an essential resource for students and scholars of aesthetics, designed to foster a foundational understanding of both long-standing and contemporary topics in the field.