Philosophy

Events

“What is the Scope of Aesthetic Experience?” Nicholas Silins (Cornell University)

Date: April 5 2013 3:30pm - 5:00pm Location: J.R. Howard Hall - J.R. Howard Hall 202

In the first half of the talk, I examine:

(Blindspot): you only experience a part of a work of art if you attend to it. I critically examine support for Blindspot one might draw from psychology literature on “inattentional blindness”. I also discuss whether some artistic practice presupposes that Blindspot is false.

In the second half of the talk, I examine:

(Surface): if you can’t tell two works of art or experiences of art apart, then they have the same value for you. Surface applies to experiences as well as works of art and other entities. I review how one might support Surface, and then reject Surface in light of psychology literature on “change blindness”.