Berys Gaut has recently defended a theory according to which a moral defect of a work of art represents an aesthetic defect of the work itself. This theory, called ethicism, has been criticized by Matthew Kieran, who argued that, on the contrary, in certain cases moral defects can increase the artistic value of artworks. In this essay I clarify…

Can there be an aesthetic difference between an original painting and its forgery if they are visually indistinguishable? Answers of different philosophers are critically examined with the conclusion that none of them is satisfactory. Although their "solutions" stem from different views of the nature of art, they have one thing in common: They all…

This article advocates an approach for teaching critical and contextual studies in secondary art education based on Wittgenstein's philosophy of language in relationship to meaning as use, custom, rule following, and physiognomy. The references to meaning form four metaphorical points on a compass for directing the will for making judgments about…

Since the practice of responsible art criticism is obviously tied to reflective judgment, the author thought it pertinent to get some bearings on the aim of criticism in an open society before suggesting a concept of art criticism that is teachable in the schools. (Author/RK)

The author reexamines the status of literature as a form of knowledge and offers some suggestions designed to help improve the characterization of literature, against the background of Sartre's writings on the aesthetic enterprise. (Author/SJL)