In a message dated 12/5/08 9:43:25 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> Cheerskep, have you any books on aesthetics that you thought were "up to > the > job" ? > > For me, the most useful books about aesthetics have been anthologies comprising papers and book-excerpts, very largely by philosophers -- who tend to be more careful in their language-use and reasoning; they have regularly been separated into sections focusing on one sub-subject; and they present the numerous adversarial views. I'm always wary about entire books written by one philosopher, because I want to know what other smart people have said in rebuttal to any given position. Alas, I consistently delude myself by buying books that in fact I never do read. I console myself a tiny bit by noticing how often I buy a book, immediately shelve it, and then three years it turns out to be exactly the book I want at that moment. Still, I do frequently buy books by single authors. There's one that's been on my shelf for a year or two that has an intriguing premise -- Peter Kivy's "PHILOSOPHIES OF ARTS An Essay in Differences". Kivy was driven by the desire to see what we might learn by focusing on the differences between the so-called "arts" rather than working on a definition of "art" that selected all and only the pursuits we tend call "arts". However, just now I picked it up and I notice I read the first chapter right after I bought it, and scribbled on various pages a fringe of carping marginalia. Kivy (like Lehrer, though less so) does seem better equipped to talk about specific genres than about philosophy of art. ************** Make your life easier with all your friends, email, and favorite sites in one place. Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp& icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000010)
