CFP for a Special Issue on Higher-Order Evidence in Aesthetics | British Journal of Aesthetics.
Deadline for submission: October 18th, 2021
Ananya dislikes a film but has reason to think that her aversion is the result of prejudice. Betty prefers the Beatles to the Stones, but her peers think that the Stones are better. Carlita admires a painting but is aware that its style is in vogue and might not survive the test of time. In each case, the subject has an aesthetic attitude toward an object but gains evidence which seems to support a higher-order judgement that their attitude is unsupported by or unresponsive to its aesthetically relevant features. How does the higher-order evidence bear on their lower-order attitude? Should the subject revise their attitude? If not, what should they think about it?
Parallel questions are the focus of much recent debate in epistemology leading to surprising conclusions—e.g. that it is rational for a person to be at odds with themselves—or new forms of scepticism. While analogous questions arise in aesthetics, they have yet to receive much attention. This is surprising given the influential idea, dating back at least to Kant, that aesthetic judgement is, in an important sense, autonomous.
To promote future work on the topic and to encourage interaction between aestheticians and epistemologists, the British Journal of Aesthetics intends to devote a special issue to the topic of higher-order evidence in aesthetics, guest edited by Daniel Whiting (University of Southampton).
Papers should conform to the usual BJA requirements and be submitted for consideration by October 18th 2021.
Any queries should be addressed to the editors, Paloma Atencia Linares (atenciap@gmail.com) or Derek Matravers (derek.matravers@open.ac.uk).
