Global Theories of the Arts and Aesthetics

This collection of essays focuses on theories and practices in relation to the arts around the globe - particularly those that have been ignored or marginalized by mainstream aesthetics and philosophy of art, and explains specific ways that the concepts of the aesthetic and of the arts might be enriched and enhanced. It explores a variety of art forms, including music, architecture, and the visual arts, with numerous specific examples. It discusses a variety of cultural traditions, including the gamelan in Central Java, gong music of the central Vietnamese highlands, contemporary Chinese visual arts, Balinese aesthetics, Islamic aesthetics. It contains clear explanations of key ideas in specific non-Western art theories and practices. It argues that the participation in artistic practices and the experience of art are deeply embedded in one’ s sense of self, in moral action, and in how one negotiates one’s way through the world.