Aesthetics

Now in its second edition, Aesthetics: The Classic Readings is an innovative anthology edited by celebrated philosopher David E. Cooper which takes a broad view of the history of aesthetics through essays of canonical significance. With excerpts from Plato's Republic and Kant's Critique of Judgement, as well as complete essays by Hume on taste and Tolstoy on art, this volume introduces readers to critical topics and questions in the philosophy of art and sensory experience. Expanding its scope beyond the Western tradition, the collection also includes important texts by Mo Tzu, the painter Shih-t'ao, and the novelist Junichiro Tanizaki, and intersperses philosophical scholarship with the diverse contributions of artists, poets, novelists, and critics that have had an ongoing impact on the field.

New to this edition, Cooper has selected excerpts from Leon Battista Alberti, Leonardo da Vinci, Oscar Wilde, Walter Pater, and philosophers Ronald W. Hepburn and Arthur C. Danto to offer readers valuable, and sometimes unusual, insights in aesthetic philosophy. The new edition also includes an updated introduction by the editor as well as prefaces to each text and detailed lists of further reading, making this an accessible resource for students at all levels. Covering a range of topics from the nature of beauty and the criteria of aesthetic judgement to the value of art and the appreciation of nature, the second edition of Aesthetics: The Classic Readings will continue to be a valuable resource for lecturers, students, and researchers.

David E. Cooper is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Durham University and has been a visiting professor at universities in the US, Canada, Malta, and Sri Lanka.