New Yorke: Perigee Books (
1934)
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BIBTEX
Abstract
IN THE winter and spring of 1031,1 was invited to give a series
of ten lectures at Harvard University. The subject chosen was
the Philosophy of Art; the lectures are the origin of the present
volume. The Lectureship was founded in memory of William
James and I esteem it a great honor to have this book associated
even indirectly with his distinguished name. It is a pleasure, also,
te recall, in connection with the lectures, the unvarying kindness
and hospitality of my colleagues in the department of philosophy
at Harvard.
I am somewhat embarrassed in an effort to acknowledge
indebtedness to other writers on the subject. Some aspects of it
may be inferred from authors mentioned or quoted in the text.
I have read on the subject for many years, however, more or
less widely in English literature, somewhat less in French and
still less in German, and I have absorbed much from sources
which I cannot now directly recall. Moreover, my obligations to
a number of writers are much greater than might be gathered
from allusions to them in the volume itself.
My indebtedness to those who have helped me directly
can be more easily stated. Dr. Joseph Ratner gave me a number
of valuable references. Dr. Meyer Schapiro was good enough to
read the twelfth and thirteenth chapters and to make suggestions
which I have freely adopted. Irwin Edman read a large part of
the book in manuscript and I owe much to his suggestions and
criticism. Sidney Hook read many of the chapters, and their
present form is largely the result of discussions with him; this
statement is especially true of the chapters on criticism and the
last chapter. My greatest indebtedness is to Dr. A. C. Barnes.
The chaptershave been gone over one by one with him, and yet
what I owe to his comments and suggestions on this account is
but a small measure of my debt. I have had the benefit of con
versations with him through a period of years, many of which
occurred in the presence of the unrivaled collection of pictures
he has assembled. The influence of these conversations, together
with that of his books, has been a chief factor in shapingmy own
thinking about the philosophy of esthetics. Whatever is sound in
this volume is due more than I can say to the great educational
work carried on in the Barnes Foundation. That work is of a
pioneer quality comparable to the best that has been done in
any field during the present generation, that of science not ex
cepted. I should be glad to think of this volume as one phase of
the widespread influence the Foundation is exercising.
I am indebted to the Barnes Foundation for permission to
reproduce a number of illustrations and to Barbara and Willard
Morgan for the photographs from which the reproductions were
made.
J. D.