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Nelson Goodman

1906-1998
Philadelphia / Harvard

This work

Languages of Art is Goodman's foundational contribution to analytic aesthetics, proposing a general theory of symbols that treats artistic representation, expression, and notation as varieties of symbolic functioning. Rejecting the mimetic paradigm that art copies reality, Goodman argues that representation is a matter of denotation and reference within symbol systems. The book introduces influential concepts — exemplification, metaphorical exemplification, the density and differentiation of notational systems — that transformed debates in aesthetics, philosophy of music, and visual arts theory.

Arthur DantoThe philosopher of art engaged with Goodman's symbolic approach while developing his own institutional theory and the concept of the 'artworld.'
Richard WollheimCritiqued Goodman's rejection of resemblance in representation while acknowledging the power of his analysis of notation and symbolic systems.
Catherine ElginGoodman's student and collaborator; developed the theory of exemplification and understanding in science and art beyond Languages of Art.
David LewisThe analytic philosopher engaged with Goodman's account of convention and notation in his own work on linguistic meaning and convention.
Stanley CavellWhile working in a different philosophical tradition, Cavell engaged with Goodman's challenge to the primacy of resemblance in aesthetic experience.

Languages of Art: An Approach to a Theory of Symbols

Nelson Goodman

Begin where the book begins

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