Music, Art, and Metaphysics

This is a long-awaited reissue of Jerrold Levinson's 1990 book Music, Art, and Metaphysics, which gathers together the writings that made him a leading figure in contemporary aesthetics. Most of the essays are distinguished by a concern with metaphysical questions about artworks and their properties, but other essays address the problem of art's definition, the psychology of aesthetic response, and the logic of interpreting and evaluating works of art. The focus of about half of the essays is the art of music, the art of greatest interest to Levinson throughout his career. Many of the essays have been very influential, being among the most cited in contemporary aesthetics and having become essential references in debates on the definition of art, the ontology of art, emotional response to art, expression in art, and the nature of art forms.

Jerrold Levinson, University of Maryland

Jerrold Levinson is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he has taught since 1976.

Part One: Art and History
1. Defining Art Historically
2. Hybrid Art Forms
3. Refining Art Historically
Part Two: Metaphysics of Art
4. What a Musical Work Is
5. Autographic and Allographic Art Revisited
6. Aesthetic Uniqueness
7. Aesthetic Supervenience
8. Titles
9. Artworks and the Future
10. What a Musical Work Is, Again
Part Three: Musical Matters
11. The Concept of Music
12. Truth in Music
13. Music and Negative Emotion
14. Hope in The Hebrides
15. Evaluationg Musical Performance
16. Authentic Performance and Performance Means
Index.