Aesthetic testimony, understanding and virtue

A Semantic Solution to the Problem with Aesthetic Testimony

There is something peculiar about aesthetic testimony. It seems more di cult to gain knowledge of aesthetic properties based solely upon aesthetic testimony than it is in the case of other types of property. In this paper, I argue that we can provide an adequate explanation at the level of the semantics of aesthetic language without defending any substantive thesis in epistemology or about aest...

Minding Your Own Business? Understanding Indifference as a Virtue

Talking Virtue: professionalism and virtue ethics

The twentieth century phenomenon of professionalism had a major impact on the economy of nation states and has been recognised as a key element of post-industrial societies. As an anointed class, professionals reserved the right to prescribe their own roles and responsibilities. Critics of professional interests, however, have described professionals’ own definition of their roles and responsib...

Appreciating the Beauty of Science Ideas: Teaching for Aesthetic Understanding

A large literature exists in which scientists describe their field as beautiful and the work they do as inspiring and passionate. Science teaching should strive to foster learning of substantive and powerful science ideas in ways that connect to the beauty inherent in those ideas. Our conception of learning science, that of learning for aesthetic understanding, achieves this goal by building on...

Testimony and Illusion