Alperson, Philip, ed. The Philosophy of the Visual Arts. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992. ($40.00 paper) ISBN: 0195059751
Comprehensive collection of essays by philosophers and other theorists, with helpful introductory essays by the editor.Alperson, Philip, ed. Musical Worlds: New Directions in the Philosophy of Music, 1998. ($14.95 paper) ISBN: 0271017694
Recent developments in understanding music by many distinguished philosophers.Battin, Margaret P.; Fisher, John; Moore, Ronald; Silvers, Anita. Puzzles About Art: An Aesthetics Casebook. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989. ($24.06 paper) ISBN: 0312003072
Introductory essays about major issues in aesthetics, with numerous puzzles/discussion examples.Beardsley, Monroe C. Aesthetics from Classical Greece to the Present. University of Alabama Press, 1976. [originally published: The Macmillan Company, 1966] ($19.95 paper) ISBN: 0817366237
A readable survey of western aesthetics by a respected American philosopher.Collingwood, R.G. The Principles of Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1958 [originally published 1938]. ($11.16 paper) ISBN: 0195002091
Classical philosophical work on expressionism, including extensive consideration of art, craft, and entertainment.Copeland, Roger, and Cohen, Marshall. What is Dance? Readings in Theory and Criticism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983. ($17.95 paper) ISBN: 0195031970
Essays by philosophers, theorists, historians, both classical and contemporary.Dewey, John. Art as Experience. New York: Perigee, 1980. [originally published Capricorn Books, 1934] ($9.60 paper) ISBN: 0399500251
Influential classic by American pragmatist philosopher and educator; rich in examples of interrelationships of art and life.Dickie, George. Introduction to Aesthetics: An Analytic Approach. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. ($19.95 paper) ISBN: 0195113047
Introductory survey covering historical theories of aesthetics; aesthetic attitude; contemporary theories of art; problems of evaluation.Langer, Susanne K. Philosophy in a New Key: A Study in the Symbolism of Reason, Rite, and Art. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1957. [originally published: 1942] ($11.20 paper) ISBN: 0674665031
Classic study of the symbolic function of art and other human activities.Moore, Ronald, ed. Aesthetics for Young People. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association, 1995. ($18.00 paper) ISBN: 0937652733
Excellent collection, with both introductory theory about aesthetics and practical examples for the classroom. Contributions by well-regarded philosophers and art educators: Margaret P. Battin, Marcia Muelder Eaton, Michael J. Parsons, Cynthia C. Rostankowski, Anita Silvers, Ellen Handler Spitz, Marilyn Galvin Stewart, Kathleen Walsh-PiperNeill, Alex, and Ridley, Aaron, eds. Arguing about Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995. ($23.25 paper) ISBN: 0070461910
Groups of articles with diverse viewpoints on contemporary issues, including colorization of films, fakes and forgeries, the aesthetics of nature, feminist aesthetics, and the contemporary museum.Neill, Alex, and Ridley, Aaron, eds. The Philosophy of Art: Readings Ancient and Modern. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995. ($39.05 paper) ISBN: 0070461929
Paperback collection of readings in aesthetics, with excellent range of writers, from Plato, Aristotle, and Tolstoy, to Bell, Collingwood, Dewey, Beardsley, and Danto.Sheppard, Anne. Aesthetics: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Art. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987. ($11.95 paper) ISBN: 0192891642
Introductory survey covering imitation, expression, formalism, appreciation, evaluation, intentions, meaning, and morals.Stewart, Marilyn G. Thinking through Aesthetics. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications, Inc., 1997. ($14.95 paper) ISBN: 0871923610 (order directly from publisher, 50 Portland Street, Worcester, MA 01608 1-800-533-2847)
Excellent text about aesthetics in the K-12 classroom, with introductory theoretical material and numerous ideas for classroom exercises and projects.
July 24, 2000