Sopha 2009

The problematic link beetwen interpretation and intention is a main issue in the philosophy of art. What is the relation beetwen works of art’s interpretation and the authorial intentions? How does authorial intentions determine artistic interpretation? I discuss two theories regarding the interpretation of works of art: anti-intentionalism (author’s intentions are not relevant for the artistic interpretation) and intentionalism (author’s intentions constrain how we interpret their works). I claim that anti-intentionalism is confusing intentionalism with fetishism, and that intentionalism cannot account the intuitive distinction beetwen what the works means and what the author tries to express. I argue that hypothetical constructionism provides a more acurate and clearer explanation of artistic interpretation: it draws attention to the difficulties of the two absolute theories in providing a criterion for the identity of the work of art.

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