Research Group
in Analytic Philosophy

The Appreciation Game. A Monist Ontology of Works of Art

20 May 2020  |  15:00  |  Online

Abstract

A pluralist ontology states that works of art can belong to distinctontological categories whereas a monist ontology states that all worksof art belong to one ontological category. A monist ontology would bepreferable since it paves the way for a unified account of art. Yet,monist conceptions find it hard to deal with cultural practices of artappreciation. In the first part of the paper I will discuss two quitepopular monist strategies. According to the one strategy, all works ofart are types; according to the other, all works of art are actions. Iwill argue that both these strategies fail to deal with the relevantcultural practices. In the second part of the paper, I will propose anew monist ontology of art according to which all works of art arenorms governing appreciation. I will argue that this account cansucceed in dealing with the relevant cultural practices.