Philosophy of the Performing Arts

Philosophical inquiry on the performing arts has tended to focus on music; specifically classical music, which is assumed to provide a model for approaching the performing arts as a whole. This book engages with this belief and explores the ways in which the ‘classical paradigm’ might be extended to other musical genres, to theatre, and to dance.

Taking in the key components of artistic performance - improvisation, rehearsal, the role of the audience, the embodied nature of the artistic performer - the book examines the similarities and differences between the performing art forms and presents the key philosophical issues that they bring into play. These reflections are then applied to the traditionally difficult issue of contemporary artworks usually classified as ‘performance art’.

Assuming no prior knowledge of the subject matter, this book provides an accessible, yet sophisticated, introduction to the field and a comprehensive framework for thinking about the performing arts.