Languages of Art

Languages ​​of art is the central work of the North American philosopher Nelson Goodman. In this book, Goodman presents a comprehensive theory of symbols that can explain both pictorial symbol systems such as painting or photography, as well as the notational alphabetic writing or music.

Structure

The languages ​​of art are divided into six parts. After Goodman's own words taken from the six parts of six lectures which he delivered at Oxford in 1962. Furthermore, two paths of investigation are pursued and assembled in the last part. One path includes the Chapter I and II, the other III. to V and Chapter VI. eventually forms the conclusion.

I re- generated reality begins with a critique of the similarity theory of image and contains the central thesis that denotation is the core of representation and description. ( Description summarizes Goodman so far that it also includes naming and predication ).

II The sound of the images leads the second central way of reference, the exemplification of one, a distinction between literal and metaphorical exemplification and presents a theory of metaphor.

III. Art and authenticity is the question of why one can fake works of art such as paintings, but this in such as compositions is impossible.

IV The theory of notation forms the central chapter of the languages ​​of art. In this part, Goodman describes his theory of symbols, presents syntactic and semantic requirements of a notation and finally different analog and (logically) between ( logical) digital arts.

V. score, sketch and script measures the theory of notation on the application to various symbol systems such as score, sketch, script, dance and others.

VI. Art and understanding finally describes epistemological consequences of Goodman's theory of symbols and is the first time a classical questions of aesthetics. Here Goodman outlined ultimately a cognitivist aesthetic, according to the measured value of a work of art in its contribution to epistemology.

Expenditure

  • Nelson Goodman: Languages ​​of Art An Approach to a Theory of Symbols. 1st edition. Indianapolis: The Bobbs- Merrill Company, 1968, 13 277 pp.
  • 2nd edition. Indianapolis: Hackett 1976, 13 277 pp. (minor changes compared to the 1st ed. )
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
742525
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