Beyond Aesthetics: Philosophical Essays

Beyond Aesthetics brings together philosophical essays addressing art and related issues by one of the foremost philosophers of art at work today. Countering conventional aesthetic theories - those maintaining that authorial intention, art history, morality and emotional responses are irrelevant to the experience of art - Noël Carroll argues for a more pluralistic and commonsensical view in which all of these factors can play a legitimate role in our encounter with art works. Throughout, the book combines philosophical theorizing with illustrative examples including works of high culture and the avant-garde, as well as works of popular culture, jokes, horror novels, and suspense films.

• Discusses a broad selection of topics central to philosophical aesthetics • Offers especially clear prose style, accessible to the non-specialist, general reader • Pays attention to works not only of high culture and the avante-garde, but also to works of popular culture

Foreword Peter Kirvy; Introduction; Part I. Beyond Aesthetics: 1. Art and interaction; 2. Beauty and genealogy of art theory; 3. Four concepts of aesthetic experience; Part II. Art, History, and Narrative: 4. Art, practice, and narrative; 5. Identifying art; 6. Historical narratives and the philosophy of art; 7. On the narrative connection; 8. Interpretation, history and narrative; Part III. Interpretation and Intention: 9. Art, intention, and conversation; 10. Anglo-American aesthetics and contemporary criticism: intention and the hermeneutics of suspicion; 11. The intention of fallacy: defending myself; 12. Intention and interpretation: the debate between hypothetical and actual intentionalism; Part IV. Art, Emotion, and Morality: 13. Art, narrative, and emotion; 14. Horror and humor; 15. The paradox of suspense; 16. Art, narrative, and moral understanding; 17. Moderate moralism; 18. Simulation, emotions, and morality; Part V. Alternative Topics: 19. On jokes; 20. The paradox of junk fiction; 21. Visual metaphor; 22. On being moved by nature; 23. Emotion, appreciation, and nature.