Designed for readers with no or little prior knowledge of the subject, this concise anthology brings together key texts in aesthetics and the philosophy of art. Two contrasting views are presented on each of six topics, with the texts either reprinted in their entirety or extracted where appropriate. They range from Plato's famous critique of art in the Republic, through Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy, to Barthes' The Death of the Author, and pieces in recent philosophical aesthetics from a number of traditions.

Each of the texts is accompanied by interactive editorial commentary, helping the reader to engage with the philosophical train of thought. The commentary explains the argumentative and historical context in which the piece was written, and draws out related methodological issues. Where relevant, the editor also highlights concerns about the nature of the subject, suggesting that much of what is discussed under the label 'aesthetics' is, in fact, better termed 'philosophy of art'. For each topic, questions for debate and a short annotated bibliography are provided.

Christopher Janaway is Professor of Philosophy at University of Southampton. His recent publications include Schopenhauer: A Very Short Introduction (2002) and Reading Philosophy: Selected Texts with a Method for Beginners (co-edited with Samuel Guttenplan and Jennifer Hornsby, Blackwell, 2003).