"Now in its third edition, Narration and Knowledge is a classic work exploring the nature of historical knowledge and its reliance on narrative. Analytical philosopher Arthur C. Danto introduces the concept of "narrative sentences," in which an event is described with reference to later events (for example, "the Thirty Years' War began in 1618") and discusses why such sentences cannot be understood until the later event happens (no one could have...

"What is it to be a work of art? Renowned author and critic Arthur C. Danto addresses this fundamental, complex question. Part philosophical monograph and part memoiristic meditation, What Art Is challenges the popular interpretation that art is an indefinable concept, instead bringing to light the properties that constitute universal meaning. Danto argues that despite varied approaches, a work of art is always defined by two essential criteria: meaning...

The essays in The Body/Body Problem, spanning more than twenty-five years, highlight the inseparability of philosophy and art in Arthur C. Danto's work. Here Danto explores the traditional philosophical question of how, as creatures with minds and bodies, we represent - and misrepresent - actual and possible worlds. Addressing philosophical questions of mental representation, Danto presents his distinctive approach to some of the most enduring topics...

"In his reviews of major exhibitions and gallery shows, Danto reflects on the work of past masters (Vermeer, Tiepolo), the great painters of the modern period (Dali, de Kooning, Kline, Rothko, and Johns), and the pluralistic descendants of Andy Warhol who dominate the New York art scene today. Nietzsche, he points out, published an essay called "How to Philosophize with a Hammer"; Danto's own review essays are lessons in how to criticize with a feather,...

Presents a catalog of an exhibition showcasing the works of the American sculptor and artist. "Louise Nevelson (1900-1988) was a towering figure in postwar American art, exerting great influence with her monumental installations, innovative sculptures made of found objects, and celebrated public artworks. The Sculpture of Louise Nevelson focuses on all phases of the artist's remarkable ascent to the top of the art world, from her groundbreaking works...

What do modern art, a symphony, and a documentary film have in common? They all require aesthetic considerations. This program presents the ideas of key figures in the shaping and understanding of aesthetics-from Plato, Francis Hutcheson, and Kant to Leon Battista Alberti, Stendhal, and Tolstoy-and addresses pivotal writings, including Aristotle's Poetics and Morris Weitz's "The Role of Theory in Aesthetics." Columbia University's Arthur Danto and...