A contextualist semantics for aesthetic judgments. Issue 6 (17th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Aschliman, Lance; Schummer, Jordan
• Is Part Of: Inquiry. Volume 59:Issue 6(2016)
• Page Start: 632
• Page End: 662
• Publication Date: 2016-08-17
• Subjects: Aesthetic properties -- anti-realism -- aesthetic judgment -- contextualism -- disagreement; Philosophy -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Philosophy -- Periodicals; Philosophy -- Periodicals; Social Sciences -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; Philosophie -- Périodiques; Sciences sociales -- Philosophie -- Périodiques; 105
• DOI: 10.1080/0020174X.2016.1208926
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-174X

Abstract

Abstract: In this paper, we present and defend a modest anti-realist conception of aesthetic properties – e.g. being unified, moving, delicate, tragic, etc – in order to motivate a contextualist semantic view about aesthetic judgments. We argue that aesthetic properties are plausibly seen as viewpoint-dependent even though our epistemic access to the presence of aesthetic properties is decidedly more complicated than other, less controversial instances of viewpoint-dependent properties (e.g. personal taste properties). On the basis of our anti-realist conception, we argue, utilizing the Kaplanian distinction between character and content within a possible worlds semantic theory, that the contents expressed in aesthetic thought and language are sensitive to certain contextual features of a particular thinker's or speaker's situation. Finally, we address a number of formidable objections to our view, objections concerning certain context-sensitivity diagnostics (about disagreement data in particular), and show how our own brand of contextualism can handle all such objections and thus meet all of the relevant explanatory burdens.