Question 1

What central question does Kendall L. Walton address in “Categories of Art”?

Accepted Answer

How far critical questions about works of art can be separated from questions about their histories.

Question 2

Why do many aesthetic theorists argue that historical circumstances are irrelevant to aesthetic judgment?

Accepted Answer

They claim that after a work is produced it must stand or fall on its own, with assessment focused on what can be seen or heard in the work rather than who made it or the context of its creation.

Question 3

How does Walton distinguish aesthetic properties from non-aesthetic properties?

Accepted Answer

Aesthetic properties are features of artworks that are in the works and must be seen, heard, or otherwise perceived there, just like non-aesthetic properties; the key difference is the aesthetic qualities such as mystery, tension, coherence, balance, and serenity.