Conferência de Peter Lamarque

"On Bringing a Work into Existence"
Peter Lamarque
(University of York)

15 de Maio, pelas 18:00
Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa, Sala Matos Romão (Departamento de Filosofia)

Abstract:
The paper considers works (of art) of all kinds—paintings, prints, symphonies, songs, poems, novels, dramas, films, architectural works, sculptures, dance, etc.—and asks what change is wrought on the world when such works are brought into existence. Three suggestions are canvassed and assessed: (a) a work comes into existence when the manipulation of an artistic medium is completed; (b) a work comes into existence when a certain constituting material (a physical object, an abstract type, etc) acquires intentional and relational properties that previously it didn’t possess; (c) when a work comes into existence a new kind of entity is created. According to (a) work creation consists only in the reconfiguring of preexisting materials; according to (b) work creation consists in the preexisting materials acquiring a new property, specifically a status property (e.g. being a work, being a sculpture); it is only according to the third suggestion (c) that genuine creation occurs, in the sense of a new entity being brought into existence. Reasons are given for preferring (c) over (a) and (b) and further elaboration is offered by way of characterizing and defending (c).


15 de Maio, pelas 18:00 Local: Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa, Sala Matos Romão (Departamento de Filosofia)