Summary of doctoral thesis: The focus of my research will be the ontological status of works of fine art in Aristotle’s philosophy. I will argue that they are categorically defined by a form-matter structure (as are technical artefacts), although I will also consider the categorisation of artworks through audience cognition and the performative aspects of art. I believe, however, that while employment of these categories leads to a refined understanding of art’s ontology, they cannot define artworks. Rather, the performative realisations and cognitive engagement are tied to the underlying hylomorphic entity. Finally, I will revisit Aristotle’s notion of mimēsis and assess how the ontological analysis of artworks reshapes our understanding of the notion. I will argue that mimēsis refers to art’s capability to perceive an object as a formally organised entity and to then represent it in a structural way. The broader ontological analysis of artworks will be employed to explain how the variety of meanings of artistic mimēsis in Aristotle can be understood as different modes of accessing or activating the representational content of artworks. The detailed case studies will focus on tragedy and music as the clearest test cases, but the analysis will also sketch implications for other kinds of art as supporting evidence.
Other research interests: Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mathematics, Aesthetics
