如何应对艺术概念的开放性?——论塔塔尔凯维奇的析取性定义

How to Respond to Openness in Concepts of Art:On Tatarkiewicz’s Disjunctive Definition of Art

在当代有关艺术定义的争议下,一种析取性的艺术定义观既坚持了维特根斯坦以来对艺术的反本质主义立场,又试图通过筛选传统中有关艺术本质的某些特征来裁定出含糊的艺术与非艺术的边界。塔塔尔凯维奇的析取性艺术定义观便是其中的一种代表性主张。其定义策略的特殊性在于,他从概念史分析的方法入手,揭示出析取性定义法的根本特征及其困难。即该方法一方面依赖于艺术定义的历史主义叙事所提供的合法性,但同时在根本上又揭示出这些艺术“特征”仅仅是出于一种功能性目的而选用的。当析取性艺术定义以这种方式来积极回应艺术概念的开放性所带来的疑虑与期待时,它的确体现出了一种出于调和与便利目的而采取的适用性举措,但这种方法也显现了历史主义方法的优势。当艺术定义旨在应对当代艺术现象的挑战时,传统的艺术定义主张并非毫无价值,它们至少提供了一些常规所认可的参照标准,让当代人在比较与筛选中明确其研究对象,并在新旧艺术现象的差异中思考新对象的艺术特征与价值何在。

In the context of contemporary debates about the definition of art,a standpoint of disjunctive definitions both adheres to anti-essentialism since Wittgenstein and attempts to determine the ambiguous boundary between art and non-art by sifting through certain features of regarding the nature of art in tradition.Tatarkiewicz's disjunctive definition of art is a representative example of this position.The peculiarity of his definitional strategy lies in the fact that he starts from a conceptual-historical analysis,revealing the fundamental characteristics and difficulties of the method of disjunctive definitions.That is,it relies on the legitimacy provided by the historicism narrative of definitions of art,but at the same time fundamentally reveals that these “features” of art are purely chosen for a functional purpose.When this disjunctive definition of art responds positively to the doubts and expectations raised by the openness of the concept of art in this way,it indeed represents an applicable move for the purposes of reconciliation and convenience,but it also presents an advantage of the historicism approach.When definitions of art are aimed at responding to the challenges of contemporary art phenomena,the truth is standpoints upon definition of art in tradition are still of value.They provide at least some conventionally accepted standards of reference,allowing contemporary people to clarify their objects of study in comparison and sifting,and to consider the features and values of new objects in the light of the differences between old and new art phenomena.