Cultural Appropriation and the Arts

James O. Young

John Wiley & Sons, Feb 1, 2010 - Philosophy - 182 pages

Now, for the first time, a philosopher undertakes a systematic investigation of the moral and aesthetic issues to which cultural appropriation gives rise.

• Cultural appropriation is a pervasive feature of the contemporary world (the Parthenon Marbles remain in London; white musicians from Bix Beiderbeck to Eric Clapton have appropriated musical styles from African-American culture)
  
• Young offers the first systematic philosophical investigation of the moral and aesthetic issues to which cultural appropriation gives rise
  
• Tackles head on the thorny issues arising from the clash and integration of cultures and their artifacts
  
• Questions considered include: “Can cultural appropriation result in the production of aesthetically successful works of art?” and “Is cultural appropriation in the arts morally objectionable?”
  
• Part of the highly regarded New Directions in Aesthetics series

Contents

• What Is Cultural Appropriation?: 1
• The Aesthetics of Cultural Appropriation: 32
• Cultural Appropriation as Theft: 63
• Cultural Appropriation as Assault: 106
• Profound Offence and Cultural Appropriation: 129
• Responding to Cultural Appropriation: 152
• Bibliography of Works Cited and Consulted: 159
• Index: 166

About the author

James O. Young is Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy, University of Victoria. He has published extensively on philosophy of language and philosophy of art. His previous books include Global Anti-realism (1995) and Art and Knowledge (2001), and he is editor (with Conrad Brunk) of The Ethics of Cultural Appropriation (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009).

Bibliographic information

• Title: Cultural Appropriation and the Arts; New Directions in Aesthetics
• Author: James O. Young
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2010
• ISBN: 1444332716, 9781444332711
• Length: 182 pages
• Subjects: Philosophy / Aesthetics; Philosophy / General