Now available in a fully revised and updated second edition, this accessible and insightful introduction outlines the central theories and ongoing debates in the philosophy of art.

Covers a wide range of topics, including the definition and interpretation of art, the connections between artistic and ethical judgment, and the expression and elicitation of emotions through artIncludes discussion of prehistoric, non-Western, and popular mass arts, extending the philosophical conversation beyond the realm of Fine ArtDetails concrete applications of complex theoretical conceptsPoses thought-provoking questions and offers fully updated annotated reading lists at the end of each chapter to encourage and enable further research

Stephen Davies is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Auckland. A former president of the American Society for Aesthetics, he is the author of several books, includingThe Artful Species (2012),Philosophical Perspectives on Art (2007), andThemes in the Philosophy of Music (2003).

List of Figures vi

Preface vii

Acknowledgments x

1 Evolution and Culture 1

2 Defining Art 24

3 Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art 49

4 Varieties of Art 80

5 Interpretation 106

6 Expression and Emotional Responses 131

7 Pictorial Representation and the Visual Arts 161

8 The Value of Art 193

Index 225