As philosophy is really just a matter of thinking deeply about things, and as art is one of the most fascinating things to think about, it is no surprise philosophers have things to say about art. In the past century or so, the list of things to think about in the arts seems to have multiplied. Largely unmodified objects such as urinals and beds appear to be art, as well as thoughts, lights that switch on and off, and walks in the countryside. This book aims to introduce eight debates in the philosophy of art through discussion of eight particular examples. Before launching into the first of these, I want to try to clarify what I am hoping to do in this book. First, I shall say something about the ambitions of the book. Second, I shall say something about the philosophical approach I shall be taking. Finally, I shall say something to distinguish the philosophy of art from other enquires that flourish in the same hedgerow.

What, then, of the book's scope? First, it does not attempt to cover all the arts. The focus will be on the visual arts rather than on music, or literature, or even architecture (if architecture is an art). There are complicated reasons for taking this narrow approach, some of which will be explored in Chapter 1. However, the basic reason is that the visual arts form some kind of unity; they have enough in common to give us something to discuss.