Aesthetics - (Blackwell Philosophy Anthologies) 2nd Edition by Steven M Cahn & Stephanie Ross & Sandra L Shapshay (Paperback)

About the Book

"The study of aesthetics concerns the arts broadly conceived, as well as the nature of aesthetic experience, which includes our responses to beauty, sublimity, ugliness, and other such qualities found in works of art, nature, the built-environment and in the course of everyday life. Although the term "aesthetics" to denote this area of study goes back only to the eighteenth century with the work of Alexander Baumgarten, the field has had a long and distinguished history dating back to classical antiquity. Aesthetics is currently the scene of provocative philosophical exploration, and one which has become increasingly connected to work in disciplines outside of philosophy such as art history, psychology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, gender studies, and critical race theory"--

Book Synopsis

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.

From the Back Cover

AESTHETICS
A COMPREHENSIVE ANTHOLOGY

The study of aesthetics is among the oldest areas of philosophical inquiry. Philosophers of all global traditions and historical eras have theorized about why we value art, the nature of beauty, and how we make aesthetic judgments and proclamations about works of art, artists, and artistic intent.

Aesthetics: A Comprehensive Anthology offers a well-rounded and thorough introduction to Anglo-American analytic aesthetics and the philosophy of art, beginning with the foundations of aesthetic philosophy in ancient tradition and charting a course through to modern art criticism and aesthetic thought. This large collection of over 60 readings balances contemporary commentaries from a wide range of influential thinkers in analytic aesthetics with representative samples of classic primary texts from their historical predecessors, including Plato, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, and others. Broad in scope, this anthology showcases recent scholarship on the value of art, excerpts from notable continental thinkers, and modern perspectives on feminist philosophy of art which contribute to an inclusive and balanced survey of the field.

New to the second edition are contemporary essays which expand the volume's coverage to include the value of art, artistic worth and personal taste, questions of aesthetic experience, and contemporary debates on 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. Appropriate for both beginning and advanced students of philosophical aesthetics, this thoughtfully curated selection of essays initiates readers into the study of aesthetic thought.

About the Author

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.