The Art Question

'Invaluable... a sound introduction.... Warburton guides the reader gently and accessibly through some of the most influential theories of the twentieth century... He deftly applies the standard tools of philosophy, such as counter-examples and the detection of circular reasoning, to a field that is prone to vagueness, pretentiousness and sometimes elastic notions of meaning and language.... an excellent introduction to the philosophy of art.' - Think 'Nigel Warburton brings a philosopher's eye to the debate ... to explore with admirable clarity, the factors that might turn a roomful of chocolate into a work of art, and why it matters.' - The Independent 'Nigel Warburton brings clarity, philosophical acuity, and conciseness to the long-standing problem of defining art...For readers new to the problem, the theories are explained in an engaging way and assessed systematically, whith discussion supported throughout by significant, up-to-date cases from the art world.' Emily Brady, The British Journal of Aesthetics 'Nigel Warburton brings a philosopher's eye to the debate ... to explore with admirable clarity, the factors that might turn a roomful of chocolate into a work of art, and why it matters.' - The Independent 'It's amusing, entertaining and often inspiring stuff ... This book is a fulfilling and enriching experience.' - Gwyn Griffiths, Morning Star 'Entertaining... accesible tone and [with a] quiet humour along the way. - Art Monthly 'A very good book. Clear, concise and engaging.' - James Elkins, author of What Painting Is and Pictures and Tears 'Readable, fresh, lucid and engaging.' - Michael Clark, author of Paradoxes from A to Z 'Invaluable... a sound introduction.... Warburton guides the reader gently and accessibly through some of the most influential theories of the twentieth century... He deftly applies the standard tools of philosophy, such as counter-examples and the detection of circular reasoning, to a field that is prone to vagueness, pretentiousness and sometimes elastic notions of meaning and language.... an excellent introduction to the philosophy of art.' - Think 'Nigel Warburton brings clarity, philosophical acuity, and conciseness to the long-standing problem of defining art...For readers new to the problem, the theories are explained in an engaging way and assessed systematically, whith discussion supported throughout by significant, up-to-date cases from the art world.' Emily Brady, The British Journal of Aesthetics

Nigel Warburton

Introduction: Art and Philosophy 1. Significant Form 2. Expression of Emotion 3. Family Resemblances 4. Institutional Contexts 5. So What? A Hypothesis. Notes. Further Reading. Bibliography. Index.