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Artistic character, creativity, and the appreciation of conceptual artIn Peter Goldie & Elisabeth Schellekens (eds.), Philosophy and conceptual art, Oxford University Press. 2007.
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142On obscenity: The thrill and repulsion of the morally prohibitedPhilosophy and Phenomenological Research 64 (1): 31-55. 2002.The paper proceeds by criticising the central accounts of obscenity proffered by Feinberg, Scruton and the suggestive remarks of Nussbaum and goes on to argue for the following formal characterization of obscenity: x is appropriately judged obscene if and only if either x is appropriately classified as a member of a form or class of objects whose authorized purpose is to solicit and commend to us cognitive-affective responses which are internalized as morally prohibited and does so in ways found…Read more
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23Applied Philosophy and Business EthicsJournal of Applied Philosophy 12 (2): 175-187. 1995.Given the socio‐economic incentives for academic relevance, the sceptic may well challenge the academic integrity of the evolving discipline of business ethics. For, the question is, how could such an emerging field of enquiry constitute applied philosophy? I critically examine certain arguments, principally advanced by Michael Oakeshott and Stephen Clark, which might be thought to underwrite such scepticism, via a wholesale suspicion of applied ethics. Yet, I argue, philosophy can be and is pro…Read more
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81Aesthetic Value: Beauty, Ugliness and IncoherencePhilosophy 72 (281): 383-399. 1997.From Plato through Aquinas to Kant and beyond beauty has traditionally been considered the paradigmatic aesthetic quality. Thus, quite naturally following Socrates' strategy in The Meno, we are tempted to generalize from our analysis of the nature and value of beauty, a particular aesthetic value, to an account of aesthetic value generally. When we look at that which is beautiful, the object gives rise to a certain kind of pleasure within us. Thus aesthetic value is characterized in terms of tha…Read more
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322The vice of snobbery: Aesthetic knowledge, justification and virtue in art appreciationPhilosophical Quarterly 60 (239): 243-263. 2010.Apparently snobbery undermines justification for and legitimacy of aesthetic claims. It is also pervasive in the aesthetic realm, much more so than we tend to presume. If these two claims are combined, a fundamental problem arises: we do not know whether or not we are justified in believing or making aesthetic claims. Addressing this new challenge requires an epistemological story which underpins when, where and why snobbish judgement is problematic, and how appreciative claims can survive. This…Read more
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32Revealing ArtRoutledge. 2004.Why does art matter to us, and what makes it good? Why is the role of imagination so important in art? Illustrated with carefully chosen colour and black-and-white plates of examples from Michaelangelo to Matisse and Poussin to Pollock, _Revealing Art_ takes us on a compelling and provocative journey. Kieran explores some of the most important questions we can ask ourselves about art: how can art inspire us or disgust us? Is artistic judgement simply a matter of taste? Can art be immoral or obsc…Read more
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63Knowledge: Aesthetic Psychology and Appreciative VirtuesIn Elisabeth Schellekens Dammann & Peter Goldie (eds.), The Aesthetic Mind: Philosophy and Psychology, Oxford University Press. pp. 32. 2011.
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40Forbidden Knowledge: The Challenge of ImmoralismIn José Luis Bermúdez & Sebastian Gardner (eds.), Art and Morality, Routledge. 2002.
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4Value of artIn Berys Nigel Gaut & Dominic Lopes (eds.), The Routledge Companion to Aesthetics, Routledge. 2000.
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228Art, imagination, and the cultivation of moralsJournal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 54 (4): 337-351. 1996.
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17On Obscenity: The Thrill and Repulsion of the Morally ProhibitedPhilosophy and Phenomenological Research 64 (1): 31-55. 2002.The paper proceeds by criticising the central accounts of obscenity proffered by Feinberg, Scruton and the suggestive remarks of Nussbaum and goes on to argue for the following formal characterization of obscenity: x is appropriately judged obscene if and only if either (A) x is appropriately classified as a member of a form or class of objects whose authorized purpose is to solicit and commend to us cognitive‐affective responses which are (1) internalized as morally prohibited and (2) does so i…Read more
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139In defence of the ethical evaluation of narrative artBritish Journal of Aesthetics 41 (1): 26-38. 2001.
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141Aesthetic Value: Beauty, Ugliness and IncoherencePhilosophy 72 (281). 1997.[FIRST PARAGRAPHS] From Plato through Aquinas to Kant and beyond beauty has traditionally been considered the paradigmatic aesthetic quality. Thus, quite naturally following Socrates' strategy in The Meno, we are tempted to generalize from our analysis of the nature and value of beauty, a particular aesthetic value, to an account of aesthetic value generally. When we look at that which is beautiful, the object gives rise to a certain kind of pleasure within us. Thus aesthetic value is characteri…Read more
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65Creativity, Virtue and the Challenges from Natural Talent, Ill-Being and ImmoralityRoyal Institute of Philosophy Supplement 75 203-230. 2014.We praise and admire creative people in virtually every domain from the worlds of art, fashion and design to the fields of engineering and scientific endeavour. Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, Einstein was a creative scientist and Jonathan Ive is admired the world over as a great designer. We also sometimes blame, condemn or withhold praise from those who fail creatively; hence we might say that someone's work or ideas tend to be rather derivative and un…Read more
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50Motivated creativity and characterForum for European Philosophy Blog. 2016.Matthew Kieran on true creativity, motivation, and character.
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114For the Love of Art: Artistic Values and Appreciative VirtueRoyal Institute of Philosophy Supplement 71 13-31. 2012.It is argued that instrumentalizing the value of art does an injustice to artistic appreciation and provides a hostage to fortune. Whilst aestheticism offers an intellectual bulwark against such an approach, it focuses on what is distinctive of art at the expense of broader artistic values. It is argued that artistic appreciation and creativity involve not just skills but excellences of character. The nature of particular artistic or appreciative virtues and vices are briefly explored, such as s…Read more
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188Why ideal critics are not ideal: Aesthetic character, motivation and valueBritish Journal of Aesthetics 48 (3): 278-294. 2008.On a contemporary Humean-influenced view, the responses of suitably idealized appreciators are presented as tracking, or even determining, facts about artistic value. Focusing on the intra-personal case, this paper argues that (i) facts about the refinement and reconfiguration of aesthetic character together with (ii) the manner in which autobiography and character are implicated in artistic appreciation make it de facto unlikely that we can reliably come to know how our ideal counterpart would …Read more
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438Art, morality and ethics: On the (im)moral character of art works and inter-relations to artistic valuePhilosophy Compass 1 (2). 2006.The (im)moral character of art works often affects how we respond to them. But should it affect our evaluation of them as art? The article surveys the contemporary debate whilst outlining further lines of argument and enquiry. The main arguments in favour of aestheticism, the claim that there is no internal relation between artistic value and moral character, are considered. Nonetheless the connection between art's instructional aspirations and artistic value, as well as the ways in which works …Read more
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University of LeedsProfessor
Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Areas of Interest
Aesthetics |
PhilPapers Editorships
Media Ethics |