A Dilemma for Modest Actual Intentionalism. (17th February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lin, Szu-Yen
• Is Part Of: British journal of aesthetics. Volume 60:Number 2(2020)
• Page Start: 165
• Page End: 181
• Publication Date: 2020-02-17
• Subjects: Aesthetics -- Periodicals; 111.85
• DOI: 10.1093/aesthj/ayz059
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-0904

Abstract

Abstract: Modest actual intentionalism is a major position on interpretation in contemporary analytic aesthetics. The position consists of a disjunctive formulation according to which work-meaning is determined by the author's intention when such intention succeeds or by non-intentionalistic factors when it fails. I challenge the disjunctive view by presenting a constructive dilemma, the conclusion being that modest actual intentionalism ends up either making non-intentionalistic factors idle or making authorial intent superfluous.