Margaret Macdonald on the Definition of Art
Margaret Macdonald on the Definition of Art
In this paper, I show that, in a number of publications in the early 1950s, Margaret Macdonald argues that art does not admit of definition, that art is—in the sense associated with Wittgenstein—a family resemblance concept, and that definitions of art are best understood as confused or poorly expressed contributions to art criticism. This package of views is most typically associated with a famous paper by Morris Weitz from 1956. I demonstrate that Macdonald advanced that package prior to Weitz, indeed, prior to any other philosopher of art of the period. Despite this, Macdonald’s contribution is nowhere to be found in the subsequent literature on the definition of art. In closing, I raise the prospect that Macdonald was in fact the primary influence on the development of Weitz’s critique of the definitional project.
Margaret Macdonald, Morris Weitz, definition of art, anti-essentialism, Ludwig Wittgenstein
Whiting, Daniel
c0847bb4-963e-470d-92a2-5c8aae5d5aef
Whiting, Daniel
c0847bb4-963e-470d-92a2-5c8aae5d5aef
Whiting, Daniel
(2022)
Margaret Macdonald on the Definition of Art.
British Journal for the History of Philosophy.
(In Press)
Abstract
In this paper, I show that, in a number of publications in the early 1950s, Margaret Macdonald argues that art does not admit of definition, that art is—in the sense associated with Wittgenstein—a family resemblance concept, and that definitions of art are best understood as confused or poorly expressed contributions to art criticism. This package of views is most typically associated with a famous paper by Morris Weitz from 1956. I demonstrate that Macdonald advanced that package prior to Weitz, indeed, prior to any other philosopher of art of the period. Despite this, Macdonald’s contribution is nowhere to be found in the subsequent literature on the definition of art. In closing, I raise the prospect that Macdonald was in fact the primary influence on the development of Weitz’s critique of the definitional project.
Text
Margaret MacDonald on the Definition of Art BJHP preprint
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 17 June 2022
Keywords:
Margaret Macdonald, Morris Weitz, definition of art, anti-essentialism, Ludwig Wittgenstein
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 468154
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/468154
ISSN: 0960-8788
PURE UUID: 894467c7-fc2b-43e2-9369-f92919eed2a3
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 04 Aug 2022 16:32
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 18:17
Export record
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics