Things

In Touch with the Past

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Epistemology, Aesthetics
Cover of the book Things by Carolyn Korsmeyer, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Carolyn Korsmeyer ISBN: 9780190904890
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: December 3, 2018
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Carolyn Korsmeyer
ISBN: 9780190904890
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: December 3, 2018
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

Things: In Touch with the Past explores the value of artifacts that have survived from the past and that can be said to "embody" their histories. Such genuine or "real" things afford a particular kind of aesthetic experience-an encounter with the past-despite the fact that genuineness is not a perceptually detectable property. Although it often goes unnoticed, the sense of touch underlies such encounters, even though one is often not permitted literal touch. Carolyn Korsmeyer begins her account with the claim that wonder or marvel at old things fits within an "experiential" account of the aesthetic. She then presents her main argument regarding the role of touch-both when literal contact is made and when proximity suffices, for touch is a fundamental sense that registers bodily position and location. Correct understanding of the identity of objects is presumed when one values things just because of what they are, and with discovery that a mistake has been made, admiration is often withdrawn. Far from undermining the importance of the genuine, these errors of identification confirm it. Korsmeyer elaborates this position with a comparison between valuing artifacts and valuing persons. She also considers the ethical issues of genuineness, for artifacts can be harmed in various ways ranging from vandalism to botched restoration. She examines the differences between a real thing and a replica in detail, making it clear that genuineness comes in degrees. Her final chapter reviews the ontology that best suits an account of persistence over time of things that are valued for being the real thing.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Things: In Touch with the Past explores the value of artifacts that have survived from the past and that can be said to "embody" their histories. Such genuine or "real" things afford a particular kind of aesthetic experience-an encounter with the past-despite the fact that genuineness is not a perceptually detectable property. Although it often goes unnoticed, the sense of touch underlies such encounters, even though one is often not permitted literal touch. Carolyn Korsmeyer begins her account with the claim that wonder or marvel at old things fits within an "experiential" account of the aesthetic. She then presents her main argument regarding the role of touch-both when literal contact is made and when proximity suffices, for touch is a fundamental sense that registers bodily position and location. Correct understanding of the identity of objects is presumed when one values things just because of what they are, and with discovery that a mistake has been made, admiration is often withdrawn. Far from undermining the importance of the genuine, these errors of identification confirm it. Korsmeyer elaborates this position with a comparison between valuing artifacts and valuing persons. She also considers the ethical issues of genuineness, for artifacts can be harmed in various ways ranging from vandalism to botched restoration. She examines the differences between a real thing and a replica in detail, making it clear that genuineness comes in degrees. Her final chapter reviews the ontology that best suits an account of persistence over time of things that are valued for being the real thing.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book Al-Qaeda: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book The Contested Murder of Latasha Harlins by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book The American Society of Addiction Medicine Handbook of Addiction Medicine by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book Marketplace of the Gods by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book China in the 21st Century:What Everyone Needs to Know by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book The Handbook of Crime and Punishment by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book An Anatomy of Thought by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book The Revelations of St. Birgitta of Sweden by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book Masters of the Battlefield: Great Commanders From the Classical Age to the Napoleonic Era by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book Sloth by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book Better PowerPoint (R) by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book A Historical Guide to Emily Dickinson by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of Canadian Cinema by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book Health Care Reform and American Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know by Carolyn Korsmeyer
Cover of the book States in Disguise by Carolyn Korsmeyer
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy