Instrumentality and Aesthetic Cognitivism
Thursday, 05 November 2026, 16:00-18:00
Senate House, Room 243
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Aesthetic cognitivism holds that art’s aesthetic value is partly due to its ability to teach us non-trivial insights. It has largely won the day against its critics — but it still faces a crucial challenge. Intuitively, we tend to think art is finally, rather than merely instrumentally valuable. A crucial part of this is the thought that art can solve certain kinds of existential problems for us: that it can re-enchant us, and help us find meaning and value in the world — something it can only do if it is finally valuable, according to Lord (2024). However, aesthetic cognitivism seems to ground only instrumental value in art, as an enabler of learning. So, are cognitivists explaining the thing we actually care about when we talk about the value of art? Even worse for the cognitivist is that it is difficult to answer this challenge satisfactorily without weakening the relationship between appreciating an artwork and cognitive success, on which the view is premised — thereby undermining the theory.
I will argue that art’s cognitive value does, in fact, contribute to its final value. There are final values which art has under the condition of being epistemically valuable in a certain way, and these are the values to which the cognitivist should appeal in answering this challenge.
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Following NHS guidance, all attendees are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated (including boosters) against Covid-19, unless medically exempt. Our group is diverse; please continue to be considerate of those who wear face coverings and those who don’t. Thank you.