George Dickie

”Smag og behag kan ikke diskuteres” siger vi – ofte i et forsøg på at lukke en lige lovlig livlig diskussion om netop smag og behag. På det æstetiske plan opstår der let en vanskelighed mere, når vi vil skelne mellem god og dårlig kunst – nemlig: Hvad er kunst? Hvad er blot kruseduller og tilfældige fløjtelyde, og hvad er maleri og musik i betydningen ”kunst”? Ja, hvornår er en pissekumme blot en kumme til at pisse i, og hvornår er den et ”kunstværk”? Med afsæt i den problematik og dens lange forhistorie i filosofien lancerede George Dickie i 1969 den såkaldte institutionsteori: dels for at give en almen og endelig definition på begrebet ”kunstværk”, dels for at frigøre det vurderende aspekt ved enhver æstetik fra al snak om kunst, ikke mindst allerede værdiladede forestillinger om kunst som noget særligt. Det gik ikke stille af, og George Dickie måtte gentagne gange forsvare og reformulere sin institutionsteori for at holde den i spil som et relevant og nødvendigt afsæt for en fordomsfri drøftelse af kunst og æstetisk værdi. I denne bog samler han trådene og giver svar på tiltale, undertiden med en polemisk glød som gjaldt det ”smag og behag”. George Dickie (1926-2020) var professor emeritus i filosofi ved University of Illinois. Hans centrale bidrag til institutionsteorien og æstetisk vurderingsteori er Art and the Aesthetic (1974), The Art Circle (1984) og Evaluating Art (1988). Bogen udkom første gang på dansk i 2003 og genudgives nu i Hans Reitzels Forlags serie Klassikere.

Art and Value focuses on the questions of history, methods, and nature of art theories, and on the value and evaluation of art. It serves as a valuable primer to aesthetics, as well as a summary and extension of Dickie's contribution to the field.

Art and Value focuses on the questions of history, methods, and nature of art theories, and on the value and evaluation of art. It serves as a valuable primer to aesthetics, as well as a summary and extension of Dickie's contribution to the field.

The Century of Taste offers an exposition and critical account of the central figures in the early development of the modern philosophy of art: Hutcheson, Gerard, Alison, Kant, and Hume. Dickie follows the development of the modern theory of taste from its origination by Hutcheson, to blind alleys followed by Gerard and Alison, its refinement and complete expression by Hume, and finally to its decline in the hands of Kant. In a straightforward and unpretentious style, Dickie offers sympathetic discussions of the theoretical aims of these philosophers, but does not shy from controversy - for instance, pointing out the obscurities and inconsistencies in Kant's aesthetics writings, which Dickie argues are overrated.

A theory about how to judge a work of art--as opposed to a theory that explains why a particular work is defined as art

In this book, George Dickie presents a theory about how to judge a work of art as opposed to a theory that explains why a particular work is defined as art. Focusing mainly on the writings of Monroe Beardsley and critically examining the views of seven other philosophers and art critics Paul Ziff, Frank Sibley, Nelson Goodman, Nicholas Wolterstorff, David Hume, Bruce Vermazen, and J. O. Urmson, Dickie synthesizes their insights to discover what can be derived from their theories. On this basis, he attempts to work out a theory of art evaluation the first such book on this topic by a contemporary philosopher. Initially, the author outlines all possible theories of art evaluation, assuming that traditional evaluative notions are used. He identifies seven theory-types that fall under four general headings: imitation value theory, objective intrinsic value theories, subjective intrinsic value theory, and instrumental value theories. Dickie then discusses the historical development of the theory of art evaluation, examining the ways in which eighteenth- and nineteenth-century philosophers treated representation and other cognitive dimensions of art as artistic values. His thorough analysis of the work of other contemporary theorists argues for a theory of art evaluation derived from various strands of thought. George Dickie, a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Illinois-Chicago, is the author of "The Art Circle".