more on this theme     |     more from this thinker     |     more from this text


Single Idea 20330

[filed under theme 21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 7. Ontology of Art ]

Full Idea

The dualistic view of the arts holds that works of art come in two fundamentally different kinds: those that are abstract entities, i.e. types, and those that are physical objects (tokens).

Gist of Idea

The dualistic view says works of art are either abstract objects (types), or physical objects

Source

Lamargue,P/Olson,SH (Introductions to 'Aesthetics and the Phil of Art' [2004], Pt 2)

Book Ref

'Aesthetics and the Phil of Art (Analytic trad)', ed/tr. Lamarque,P/Olsen,SH [Blackwell 2004], p.71


A Reaction

Paintings are the main reason for retaining physical objects. Strawson 1974 argues that paintings are only physical because we cannot yet perfectly reproduce them. I agree. Works of art are types, not tokens.