Once Upon a Time is a collection of essays in the philosophy of literature with two central themes: the significance of story –telling for us and the question of whether the novel, perhaps the art form most closely associated with story-telling, is a legitimate source of human knowledge. Leading philosopher of art Peter Kivy explores why human beings are so enthralled by being told stories and whether story-telling is a significant source of knowledge. Starting with a study of Aristotle's Poetics, Kivy then undertakes a critical discussion of Noel Carroll’s suggestion that our interaction with the artists of the past is a kind of “conversation.” He goes on to defend the thesis that one of the legitimate artistic pleasures we take in novel-reading is the acquiring of knowledge and, furthermore, that the silent reading of a novel is a kind of performance, making the novel one of the performing arts. The volume concludes with a chapter about jokes, and, in particular, whether it is immoral to tell or be amused by an “immoral” joke. This volume of essays is a must-read for anyone seriously interested in literature and the conceptual problems it may raise for philosophers.

About the Author

Peter Kivy was Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Rutgers University. His many published works include De Gustibus: Arguing About Taste and Why We Do It (2015), Music Alone: Philosophical Reflections on the Purely Musical Experience (2009), The Blackwell Guide to Aesthetics (2004) and Antithetical Arts: On the Ancient Quarrel Between Literature and Music (2009). Several of his books have been translated into Chinese, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. He was a former Guggenheim Fellow and a past President of the American Society for Aesthetics.

Aaron Meskin is the Head of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Georgia.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

I mainly carry imported books from South East Asia / South Asia for readers of all Age Groups.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

PLETOS INC
6931 51st Avenue, WOODSIDE, Woodside, NY, 11377, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

We accept return for those books which are received damaged. Though we take appropriate care in packing to avoid such situation.

Shipping Terms

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	12 to 19 business days	12 to 14 business days
First item	US$ 3.99	US$ 6.99

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.