The Role of the Art World in Enhancing the Philosophical Perspective of Others

Abstract

This paper begins with an important question, which is not new: what should be included in the art circle or considered as art, and what should be left outside this circle? To answer this question, I focus first on various definitions of art given by certain theorists, such as Hume (1757), Bell (1913), Weitz (1956), and Dickie (2006). I compare these theorists’ arguments about the definition of art. Through their theories, I discuss the evaluation of artworks depending on whether the judgment is subjective, relating to its evaluation within the art world, or objective, relating to the artwork itself. Then I highlight the notion of criticism and the differences between subjective criticism and objective criticism. Finally, I emphasize the important role of critics in understanding the philosophical perspective, appreciating artwork, and enhancing the academic performance for others. In this paper, I argue that the evaluation of artwork should depend on subjective judgment – that of the art world - more than objective judgment – focusing on the artistic values of the art object – and that requires the critic to evaluate the artwork objectively.