Art and Value

For much of the last half-century, George Dickie has been one of the preeminent philosophers of art in the Anglo-American tradition, deeply influencing the generations of theorists who have followed. He is most frequently associated with his ‘institutional theory of art’, which situates the classification of objects as artworks in social practices and institutions, rather than in the ontology of objects or in features of human psychology. Art and Value focuses broadly on questions of history, methods, and the nature of art theories, as well as the value and evaluation of art. The discussions are crisp and clear, and the conclusions are consistently illuminating. This book serves as a valuable primer to aesthetics, as well as a summary and extension of Dickie’s contribution to the field.