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Aesthetics: Classic Readings from the Western Tradition
This anthology is a collection of basic readings, chosen to illustrate the major movements in the history, development and nature of aesthetics. Selections of major importance are drawn from the period of the Greeks to the mid-twentieth century. Every section introduction includes an historical overview of each period, biographical information, and a brief analysis of key concepts.
- GenresPhilosophy
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 1996
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June 10, 2009
"Aesthetics: Classic Readings from the Western Tradition" edited by Dabney Townsend, is another aesthetics anthology I recently read in hopes of finding a better text for my philosophy of art course this fall. It's one of the better anthologies available, but by no means the best of them (that honor I'd reserve for either Stephen David Ross' "Art and Its Significance" or Hofstadter's old standby "Philosophies of Art and Beauty").
Townsend's volume strikes a pretty good balance between depth and breadth. It includes selections from 20 writers old and new, ranging from Plato and Aristotle to Bell and Danto. A few from both camps (like Bonaventure, Dante, Ruskin and Weitz) are not regularly included in anthologies of this type, so their presence is refreshing. And the selction offers a sound representation of figures from different historical periods and different philosophical perspectives. But the selections are relatively superficial in content, as there are only a few complete essays in the mix, and only a scratch on the surface of truly important writers like Plato and Kant. And one wonders why someone like Morris Weitz is included if that choice eliminates a much more influential figure, like Nelson Goodman for instance.
In short, this anthology is at the top of the middle-of-the-road pack, as it contains a broad and interesting sampling of texts. But a little more depth (and some more prudent choices) would have definitely improved the book.
Townsend's volume strikes a pretty good balance between depth and breadth. It includes selections from 20 writers old and new, ranging from Plato and Aristotle to Bell and Danto. A few from both camps (like Bonaventure, Dante, Ruskin and Weitz) are not regularly included in anthologies of this type, so their presence is refreshing. And the selction offers a sound representation of figures from different historical periods and different philosophical perspectives. But the selections are relatively superficial in content, as there are only a few complete essays in the mix, and only a scratch on the surface of truly important writers like Plato and Kant. And one wonders why someone like Morris Weitz is included if that choice eliminates a much more influential figure, like Nelson Goodman for instance.
In short, this anthology is at the top of the middle-of-the-road pack, as it contains a broad and interesting sampling of texts. But a little more depth (and some more prudent choices) would have definitely improved the book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review