Relativism in the Arts - by Betty Jean Craige (Paperback)

About the Book

Essays in the fields of music, art criticism, literary criticism, philosophy, and the "history of consciousness" that confront the problems of relativist aesthetics. They range from theoretical discussions of the definition of art in our times to close examinations of particular artworks or art forms.

Book Synopsis

In a world where the acceptance of relativism has caused erosion in the tradition of Cartesian dualism, representationalism in the arts has come under serious questioning. The contributors to this book seek new standards for defining and evaluating works of art.

Relativism in the Arts brings together thinkers in the fields of music, art criticism, literary criticism, philosophy, and the "history of consciousness" to confront the problems of relativist aesthetics. Their essays range from theoretical discussions of the definition of art in our times to close examinations of particular artworks or art forms. The introduction by Betty Jean Craige presents reasons for the cultural self-reflectivity that gives rise to the peculiarities of modern art.

Review Quotes

Boldly simplifying in the cause of readability and therefore polemical impact, Craige analyzes how the humanities and especially literary criticism have guided themselves into splendid, intellectually sophisticated, and mirrored isolation.

--American Literature

The breadth of Relativism in the Arts all but guarantees something relevant for every reader. By providing theoretical discussions that are both supportive and critical of relativism, the editor affords the reader an opportunity to place his own views within a spectrum of critical opinion.

--Southern Humanities Review

About the Author

BETTY JEAN CRAIGE was the University Professor of Comparative Literature and director of the Center for Humanities and Arts at the University of Georgia. She is the author of several books on the subject of holism, including Reconnection: Dualism to Holism in Literary Study, Laying the Ladder Down: The Emergence of Cultural Holism, and American Patriotism in a Global Society.