Aesthetics: Key Concepts in Philosophy [Hardcover]

Aesthetics is the branch of philosophical thought that arises from deep engagement with the arts. It is about larger issues such as meaning, identity, and medium that arise in the exploration of art, music, film and literature.Aesthetics: Key Concepts in Philosophyoffers a thorough, lucid and stimulating account of the central theories and ideas encountered in aesthetics. The text is thematically structured, covering the discipline's principal concepts: taste, aesthetic judgment, aesthetic experience, and the definition of art. It includes an overview of the history of aesthetics and guides the reader through the work of all major philosophers who have engaged with aesthetics.

Herwitz attends to a whole array of important aesthetic topics in four perfectly focused chapters. Indispensable reading for humanities and philosophy students and for anyone else who is simply interested in the arts. - Professor Lydia Goehr, Columbia University, USA

This is a solid grounding for students in philosophy, film studies, history and art. - Book News, November 2008

Introduction and The Birth of Aesthetics
1. Taste and Judgement
2. Art and Experience
3. Modern Definitions of Art and the Problem of New Media
4. Conclusion: Art and Truth
Bibliography
Index