S/P/56. Are there any good reasons for thinking that the aesthetic attitude is a myth?

This paper discusses the cases for and against the existence of an aesthetic attitude or ‘appropriate’ manner of attending to art. It discusses the views of Schopenhauer and Kant in terms of their emphasis on ‘disinterest’, contrasting these views with more contemporary philosophical standpoints. I have argued that Scruton’s ‘readiness of imagination’ ideas and the institutional perspective of Dickie are also crucial elements in the story of any aesthetic attitude, and go to show that such a concept is at best limited.