Let’s decide what art is
Abstract
In this text I critically analyze the decisionist proposals on the status of art based on family resemblances or resemblances to paradigmatic examples proposed by Weitz and Ziff, as well as the notion of paradigmatic examples. I also analyze Kennick's proposal of the inconvenience of defining art to finally propose that, given the problems of these approaches, the best option is that adopted by most of the authors of the analytical philosophy of the arts, namely, to propose theories in which certain essentialist definitions have a place. But this, however, does not eliminate the decisionist element.
References
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Castro, S. J. (2004). La problemática definición del arte. Estudios Filosóficos 53, 333-355.
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Kennick, W. E. (1958). Does Traditional Aesthetics Rest on a Mistake? Mind 67 (267), 317-334.
Schaeffer, J. M. (2015). Beyond Speculation. Art and Speculation without Myths, London-New York: Seagull Books
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Weitz, M. (1956). The Role of Theory in Aesthetics. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 15, 27-35; Ziff, P. (1953). The Task of Defining a Work of Art. Philosophical Review 62, 58-78.
Wittgenstein, L. (1988). Investigaciones Filosóficas, México-Barcelona: UNAM-Crítica.
Wollheim, R. (1972). El arte y sus objetos, Barcelona: Seix Barral
Castro, S. J. (2004). La problemática definición del arte. Estudios Filosóficos 53, 333-355.
Goehr L. (2007). The Imaginary Museum of Musical Works, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Hume, D. (2008). La norma del gusto. En David Hume, Ensayos morales y literarios, Madrid: Tecnos.
Kennick, W. E. (1958). Does Traditional Aesthetics Rest on a Mistake? Mind 67 (267), 317-334.
Schaeffer, J. M. (2015). Beyond Speculation. Art and Speculation without Myths, London-New York: Seagull Books
Swinburne, R. (2018). La coherencia del teísmo, Salamanca: San Esteban.
Swinburne, R. (2019). Are We Bodies or Souls?, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Weitz, M. (1956). The Role of Theory in Aesthetics. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 15, 27-35; Ziff, P. (1953). The Task of Defining a Work of Art. Philosophical Review 62, 58-78.
Wittgenstein, L. (1988). Investigaciones Filosóficas, México-Barcelona: UNAM-Crítica.
Wollheim, R. (1972). El arte y sus objetos, Barcelona: Seix Barral
Authors
Castro Rodríguez, S. J. . (2025). Let’s decide what art is. Logos: Journal of Linguistics, Philosophy and Literature, 34(2). https://doi.org/10.15443/RL3429
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