Defining Art

Defining Art Author(s): George Dickie Source: American Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Jul., 1969), pp. 253-256 Published by: University of Illinois Press on behalf of North American Philosophical Publications Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20009315 Accessed: 12/12/2008 19:35 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=illinois. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 to build trusted digital archives for scholarship. We work with the scholarly community to preserve their work and the materials they rely upon, and to build a common research platform that promotes the discovery and use of these resources. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

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American

Philosophical

Volume

6, Number

Quarterly

3, July

1969

DEFINING

X.

GEORGE recent

that the years it has been argued cannot of "work art" be defined and IN expression Morris Weitz has even argued that being an artifact is not a necessary condition for being a work of art.1 has More however, recently, Joseph Margolis has offered a definition2 and Maurice Mandelbaum made tentative suggestions about defining "art."3 I shall not repeat the well-known argument of of Weitz, whose views I take to be representative those who maintain that "art" cannot be defined, but shall state his main conclusion and comment on one of his arguments. Neither shall I repeat the or Mandelbaum, but I do arguments of Margolis want to note (i) that they agree that artifactuality is a necessary condition of art, and (2) that Mandel? out the significance of the non baum points exhibited characteristics of art for the definition of "art."

main is that there are no conclusion sufficient for the definition and conditions necessary of "art" or for any of the subconcepts of art, such Weitz's

as

"novel,"

"tragedy,"

of these notions stances Weitz dition

have

so on.

and

"painting,"

are open

concepts

and

their

All

in?

resemblances."

"family

rejects artifactuality we of art because sometimes

as

a

con? necessary statements make

such as "This driftwood is a lovely piece of sculp? ture."4 We do sometimes speak this way of natural objects, but nothing follows from this fact. Weitz is confused because he takes the driftwood remark to be a descriptive statement and it is not. Weitz between an himself, quite correctly, distinguishes evaluative

use

and

a

descriptive

use

of

"work

DICKIE when the question of whether "art" can be defined is raised. I maintain use of that the descriptive "work of art" is used to indicate that a thing belongs to a certain category of artifacts. By the way, the sense can be applied to artifacts as well evaluative as

nonartifacts,

a work

as when

of art." Such

we

"That

say,

remarks

are not

is

painting

intended

as

tautologies.

Before going on to discuss the second condition of the definition sense of "art," it of the descriptive will be helpful to distinguish the generic concept of art from the various subconcepts which fall under it. It may very well be the case that all or some of the subconcepts of art, such as novel, tragedy, ceramics,

sculpture,

painting,

and

so on, may

lack

and sufficient

conditions for their appli? necessary cation as subconcepts and it still be the case that "work of art," which is the genus of all these sub there may concepts, can be defined. For example, not be any characteristics which all tragedies have which would distinguish them from comedies, satyr the and like within the domain of plays, happenings, art. Even if this were the case, in the light of the tragedies and all other works of art foregoing, would have at least one characteristic in common, namely, some

one

artifactuality. or more

other

Perhaps features

artifactuality of works

and of

art

them from nonart. If all or some of the distinguish of art cannot be defined and, as I subconcepts think is the case, "art" can be, then Weitz is right in part. *

of

is understood it art,"5 and once this distinction can be seen that the driftwood remark is an evalu? ation of the driftwood. But it is, of course, the sense of "work of art" which is at issue descriptive

ART

*

*

that artifactuality is the genus of art, Assuming the differentia is still lacking. This second condition will be a social property of art. Furthermore, this

1Morris "The Role of Theory in Aesthetics," The Journal Weitz, of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, vol. 15 (1956), pp. 27-35; in Philosophy Looks at the Arts, ed. by Joseph Margolis a of Defining reprinted (New York, 1962); Paul ZifF, "The Task in Aesthetics and thePhilosophy of Art," Work Levich reprinted ; of Criticism, ed. by Marvin (New York, Kennick, 1963) William "Does Traditional Aesthetics Rest on a Mistake," vol. 66 (1958), pp. 317-334. Mind, 2 The is not satisfactory, see Andrew definition Language of Art and Art Criticism (Detroit, 1965), pp. 37-47. Margolis' however; review in Philosophical Harrison's Books, vol. 7 (1966), p. 19. 3 the Arts," American Philosophical and Generalization "Family Resemblances Concerning Quarterly, vol. 2 (1965), pp. 219-228. 4 Op. cit., p. 57. 5 Ibid., p. f\6.

253

AMERICAN

254

inMandelbaum's

social propety will, a nonexhibited,

be

PHILOSOPHICAL

relational

A work of art in the descriptive sense is (/) an artifact

terminology,

property.

dead

or

person,

some

for

reason.

other

The

practice does not prove a radical differ? Egyptian ence between their conception of art and ours such that a definition which subsumes both is impossible. there is no need to assume that we and Secondly, the ancient Egyptians (or any other group) share a common conception of art. I would be happy to be able to specify the necessary and sufficient condi? tions for the concept of art which we have (we present-day we Westerners

we

Americans, the

since

present-day

the

of

organization

system

am not of the arts in or about the 18th century?I sure of the exact limits of the "we"). Kennick we are most likely to discover the notwithstanding, differentia of art by considering "what we do with certain

objects,"

that

is,

art."

of

"works

of

But,

that any given thing course, there is no guarantee we or an ancient Egyptian might possibly do with a work of art will throw light on the concept af art. Not every doing will reveal what is required. Danto's

Arthur

stimulating

article,

"The

Art

is helpful here. In speaking of Warhol's world,"7 Brillo Carton and Rauschenberg's Bed, he writes, the "To see something as art requires something of artistic cannot de eye [s] cry?an atmosphere theory,

a

knowledge

of history

of art

:an

artworld."8

non the eye cannot descry is a complicated What of the artifacts in question. exhibited characteristic of which Danto speaks is elusive, The "atmosphere" content. this but it has a substantial Perhaps I shall first content can be captured in a definition. state the definition and then go on to defend it.

or

society

some

of

sub-group

a

society has conferred the status of candidatefor appreciation. of the The definition speaks of the conferring : nothing status of candidate for appreciation is said about actual appreciation and this leaves open the for whatever of works of art which, possibility are

reason,

not

not

Also,

appreciated.

every

aspect

of a work

is included in the candidacy for ap? of the the of for color back example, preciation, a painting is not ordinarily an object of appreci? ation. The problem of which aspects of a work of art are to be included within the candidacy for appreci? I have pursued ation is a question which else? 9

where.

Just how is the status of candidate for appreci? in an art ation conferred? An artifact's hanging a

museum,

at

performance

a

the

and

theater,

like

are sure signs that the status has been conferred. But

status, person's

single

artifact without for appreciation person We easily?

of

an

is of

artifact

can

appreciation called

"the

by

as a candidate

although an

create

might

can

But status the

status

ceremony

in

married, is

two

persons

be

can

status

conferred

ceremony?the of being married, is not the only

some

jurisdictions status

possible?a

within

marriage

status

with

ceremony. What

as

and him?

be conferrable

artifact

someone

marriage

that, just common-law

walls artist

ever considering it as a candidate and the status be conferred by some

getting

quired without

the

the artist himself,

usually

or persons. associate

common-law

but

therefore, must

and ceremony wedding for However, example.

way

museum

reach anyone

by

because

always,

so

never

treating

for appreciation,

other

art seen

never

are

self. The a

of

works

many some

not

Westerners,

some

which

upon

(2)

W. E. Kennick contends that such an approach to the definition of "art" is futile. He argues from sealed up such facts as that the ancient Egyptians to the conclusion in and tombs paintings sculptures that "The attempt to define Art in terms of what we do with certain objects is as doomed as any other."6 are with Kennick's There several difficulties fact sealed the that the argument. First, Egyptians not in does tombs and up paintings sculptures entail that they generally regarded them differently from the way in which we regard them. Indeed, have put them there for the dead to they might or simply because to they belonged appreciate, the

QUARTERLY

I want

the acquire a system, legal of a candidate

acquire

the

within

the system which

ac?

to suggest

Danto

status an for

has

artworld."

arise about this notion A number of questions and perhaps of status of candidate for appreciation can best be clarified by stating the whole matter the them and trying to answer them. Probably kind of appreciation? is: what first question does seem to suggest that Surely the definition there is a special kind of "aesthetic" appreciation. should is not crucial, but something Appreciation

6 Kennick, op. cit., p. 330. 7The vol. 61 (1964), pp. 571-584. Journal of Philosophy, 8 Ibid., p. 580. 9 In American Philosophical and Broadly Quarterly, vol. 5 (1968), pp. my "Art Narrowly Speaking," of art which, the notion of aesthetic object. The although essay is the concept subject of the present from it. aesthetic is distinct object,

71-77, related

I analyze where to the notion of

DEFINING

it to prepare the way for the be said about I have in crucial point. The kind of appreciation the kind characteristic of our mind is simply of paintings, poetry, novels, and the experiences like. This remark seems to collapse the definition into circularity, but it does not because "work of in the art" (the term defined) does not appear explanation

of appreciation,

appear. Another art

differ

so much

only

apparent from

one

subconcept

problem another?for

terms

is that works example,

of

ART

255

"Fountain" in that now famous art christened show. The point is that Duchamp's act took place within a certain institutional setting and that makes all the difference. Our salesman of plumbing sup? did, that is, convert plies could do what Duchamp a urinal into a work of art, but he probably would not?such

weird

ideas

seem

to occur

only

to artists

with bizarre senses of humor. Please remember is a work of art, I am when I say "Fountain" a one. it is And in making this saying good remark I am not insinuating that it is a bad

that not last one

it comedies are very different from tragedies?that seems unlikely that the appreciation characteristic either. of our experience of one kind of work has something the question? raise Duchamp's "ready-mades" in common with the appreciation of characteristic "If urinals, snowshovels, and hatracks can become our experience But of another kind of work. works of art, why can't natural objects such as driftwood become works of art?" and, of course, paintings, poems, and plays are the objects of our and the fact that the objects differ and other natural objects can become driftwood appreciation that the various does not mean works of art if any one of a number of things is considerably differ. if we mean done to them. One thing which would do the trick Indeed, by appreciations like "in the be to pick it up, take it home, and would something experiencing "appreciation" hang or of a thing one finds them worthy it on the wall. Another do qualities thing which would then there is no problem about the the trick would be to pick it up and enter it in valuable," an exhibition. that (I was, by the way, assuming similarity of the various appreciations. It can now be seen that appreciation will not Weitz's sentence about driftwood to a referred serve to pick out the subclass of works of art from in its ordinary situation on a piece of driftwood the class of artifacts?it is too broad: many artifacts beach and untouched by human hand.) This means which are obviously not works of art are appreci? that natural objects which become works of art ated. To pick out the class of works of art one must at acquire their artifactuality (are artifactualized) stress the conferring of the status of candidate rather the same time that the status of candidate for a salesman than for example, is conferred on them. But perhaps a When, appreciation. appreciation wares his of plumbing before us, similar thing ordinarily supplies spreads happens with paintings, he presents them for our appreciation all right, but poems, and such ; they come to exist as artifacts at the presenting is not a conferring of status of the same time that they have conferred on them the status it is simply a placing before us. But what of candidate for candidate, appreciation. course, (Of an artifact is the difference before" and between and being a candidate for "placing being are not the status of candidate?" The differ? the same are two "conferring appreciation thing?they ence is analogous to the difference between my properties of a single thing which may be acquired at the same time.) A somewhat more uttering "I declare this man to be a candidate for complicated case would be an artifact from a and the head of the election board alderman" primitive culture the same sentence while in his which played a role in a religious system and which uttering acting I utter the sentence it has official capacity. When had no artistic function in the sense developed here. no effect because I have not been vested with any Such an artifact might become a work of art in our in this regard. Of course the analogy is culture in a way similar to that in which driftwood authority not a complete in the might of authority one?lines become a work of art. However, such a are by and large explicitly world a which becomes work art of would politico-legal religious object defined and incorporated into law, while lines of be an artifact in two senses, but the driftwood in in the art that something (or something like authority) authority only one. (I am not suggesting world are nowhere codified. The artworld carries cannot be a religious object and work of art at the on its business at the level of customary practice. same are time?there to this counter-instances many Still there is a practice and this defines a social in our own culture.) institution. To return to the plumbing A question which frequently arises in connection line, the salesman's presentation is different from Duchamp's with discussions of the concept of art is "How are a act similar urinal we to conceive of paintings done of he which superficially placing by individuals such

256

AMERICAN

PHILOSOPHICAL

as Betsy the chimpanzee from the Baltimore Zoo?" It all depends on what is done with the paintings. call the objects that I unhesitatingly (Note I am uncertain their about although paintings, status as works of art.) For example, The Field in Chicago Museum Natural History recently some chimpanzee In the case exhibited paintings. of these paintings we must say that they are not if they had been exhibited a works of art. However, few miles away at the Chicago Art Institute they would have been works of art. (If, so to speak, the director of the Art Institute had gone out on a setting. limb.) It all depends on the institutional to consider In concluding, itmay be worthwhile in what ways the definition offered here differs from some traditional definitions, (i) It does not attempt to smuggle a conception of good art into the of "art." (2) It is not, to use Margolis' definition as is the one Margolis cites as term, "overloaded," a horrible example :"Art is a human activity which in a and hereby creates, new reality explores, University

10There

QUARTERLY

visional

suprarational, symbolically cosmic whole

or

manner

and

metaphoncally,10 a macrocosmic

signifying

as

it

presents a micro whole."11

to any (3) It does not contain any commitment or as contrasted metaphysical unempirical theory, for example, the view that art is unreal. with, (4) It is broad enough so that those things generally recognized as art can be brought under it without undue

strain,

as

contrasted

with,

for

example,

the

imitation definition which involves enormous strain in trying to show that every work of art is an imitation of something or other. (5) It takes into account (or at least attempts to) the actual practices of the artworld of the past and of the present day. I have been saying may Now what sound like an "a art someone work of is of which object saying, has said, 'I christen this object a work of art'." And I think it is rather like that. So one canmake a work of art out of a sow's ear, but of course that does not mean that it is a silk purse.12

of Illinois at Chicago Circle Received March18, 1968

errors here. Margolis are apparently two typographical the word as "metaphonically" text and the original quotes text indicates of the original that it should have been "metaphorically." A reading "metaphoncally." is Art?," is quoted from Erick Kahler's "What in Problems in Aesthetics, ed. by Morris Weitz Op. at., p. 44. The passage (New York, 1959). 12Thanks are due toMonroe Arnold and Maurice Mandelbaum who read Eaton, William Levison, Beardsley, Marcia Hayes, in manuscript and made many this paper helpful suggestions.

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