The Aesthetic Thought Of George Dickie

George Dickie is a contemporary American philosopher and aesthetician, who has succeeded the traditions of analytical aesthetics since Wittgenstein but is partially against the attempt to the definition of. traditional aesthetics. He has put forward institution theory of art from critiquing the mythology of aesthetic attitude. Afterwards, he has conducted a series of analysis on evaluation art, approaching the philosophers and aestheticians he values. Dickie's institution theory of art has enlightened his supporters and discommenders in the definition of art.This thesis attempts to systemize Dickie's primary aesthetic ideology—institution theory of art, other important esthetic ideology and the philosophy of analytical aesthetics.In chapter one, it mainly deals with the introduction to Dickie, the philosophy background of analytical aesthetics, and its representatives with their main ideas.In chapter two, it is the main body of this thesis. Dickie's most famous theory is institution theory of art. However, such a theory was put forward after his breaking mythology of aesthetic attitude. Therefore, chapter two deals with Dickie's aesthetic attitude, which aims at elaborating Dickie's critique to the emptiness of esthetic attitude and esthetic distance. He thinks aesthetic attitude is a mythology in which there is no existence of independent esthetic state. Besides, it deals with institution theory of art, which mainly introduces Dickie's definition of art. Dickie is against nihilism of"art can not be defined"and also against that traditional aesthetics, such as imitation theory and expression theory, which defines art only by"necessary condition"and"sufficient condition". Thus, he puts forward his own idea mainly reflecting in his institution theory of art.In chapter three, it deals with Dickie's other aesthetic ideas and the elaboration of two figures he values. Dickie analysizes critical theories with the method of combination of theory and history and has paid great attention to the contemporary theorists'art and practice. It refers to David Hume and Monroe Beardsley. Philosophy has contributed a lot to aesthetic study and Dickie's ideas.In the last chapter, it concludes the main ideas of Dickie's theory.