Introducing Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art

Aesthetics and the philosophy of art are about things in the world – things like the Mona Lisa, but also things like horror movies, things like the ugliest dog in the world, and things like wallpaper. There’s a surprising amount of philosophical content to be found in wallpaper. Using a case-driven approach, Introducing Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art is grounded in real-world examples that propel thought, debate, and discussion about the nature of art and beauty. Now in its third edition, this tried-and-tested text features fresh cases and new activities. Hands-on Do Aesthetics! activities pepper the text, and Challenge Cases appear at the end of each chapter to test intuitions, to complicate the field of discussion, and to set a path forward. Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wall-Paper” serves as a recurring case throughout, and this edition includes the full text of this classic short story. From classical debates that continue to bother philosophers today, to emerging problems of identity, appropriation, and morality, this introduction is designed to engage you in a field that itself engages with so much of the world around you. Here is everything you need to know about the history, themes, thinkers and theories to get you started on aesthetics and the philosophy of art.

Hick's lively and comprehensive introduction manages a remarkable feat: it remains student-friendly while keeping a keen eye trained on historical figures and also carefully navigating contemporary debates. I'm excited to teach with this new edition. Highly recommended., Interesting examples continue to draw us into the concepts and theories of philosophy, but in addition, the chapters now include case studies and challenges. This is an excellent text for helping students grapple in their own way with the aesthetic values of nature and art, and the associated ethical issues., Hick does something I’ve never seen another author of an introductory Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics textbook do, and that’s make it fun. With a point of engagement at every turn, the reader can't help but feel like they're an active part of a conversation. A thing of beauty!

Darren Hudson Hick is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Furman University (Greenville, South Carolina) USA. He is the author of Artistic License: The Philosophical Problems of Copyright & Appropriation (2017), coeditor of The Aesthetics and Ethics of Copying (Bloomsbury, 2016), and General Editor of the digital collection, Bloomsbury Contemporary Aesthetics.