Publisher's Synopsis
At the heart of aesthetics lie fundamental questions about how we apply value to art and the notion of objectivity in such valuation. Any theory of aesthetic value must explain how the properties of the artworks themselves contribute to the values derived from contemplating and appreciating them. This concise survey, intended particularly for advanced undergraduate students, focuses on this central question of aesthetic value, using many examples from painting, music and literature. Arguing for a non-realist view of aesthetic value, the author sets out to show that the personal element can never be left out of evaluative aesthetic judgements.
