George Dickie (Prominent figure in contemporary aesthetics, including anti-realism)

George Dickie is a significant contemporary philosopher known for his contributions to aesthetics, particularly his views on art and its appreciation. He is associated with anti-realism, which suggests that the value and meaning of art depend on societal and cultural contexts rather than an objective reality. Dickie's "institutional theory of art" posits that something is considered art when it is accepted by the art world, encompassing artists, critics, and institutions. This approach contrasts with traditional realism, which asserts that art represents or reflects an objective reality. Dickie’s ideas have profoundly influenced how we understand and evaluate art today.