The second half of the twentieth century has seen a huge revival of interest in aesthetics as an area of mainstream philosophical enquiry. in recent decades, the debate has moved from traditional considerations of 'beauty' and 'truth' into questions of the nature of representation and resemblance, and the very definition of a work of art.

An increasing appreciation of continental philosophy in the English-speaking world has also been a major influence: the 'hermeneutic' discussions of Heidegger and Gadamer, for example, have reassessed the nature of interpretation and the role of art as a vehicle of truth, while structuralist and poststructuralist writers have brought the relationship of artists and audiences to texts and other artworks into problematic prominence.

This Companion provides a guide to the whole field of aesthetics within the framework of an alphabetically arranged volume. It is both a work of reference and an in-depth examination of the best thinking about the arts at the end of the twentieth century. The 130 articles in the book survey the most significant concepts, problems, movements and authors in the philosophy of art, documenting new directions of enquiry as well as traditional topics such as catharsis and the sublime.

Extensive bibliographies are provided throughout, and there Is also a comprehensive Index.