[Be sure you are familiar with the format and ground rules for this exam.]

Questions will be referred to by their "names," listed to their left.

"Name"	Question
D5-COM	How is the interpretation of ordinary communication, such as letters, both like and unlike the critical interpetation of a poem or novel? Critically discuss.
D5-HYP	Explain "hypothetical intentionalism" and how it differs from "actual intentionalism." Is either plausiable as a theory? Critically discuss.
D5-MAX	Explain the theory of interpretation Davies calls "value maximization." How does it differ from other theories of interpretation? Is it plausiable as a theory? Critically discuss.
D5-MONA	Does the contemporary significance of Leonardo's Mona Lisa, as the world's most famous and reproduced artwork, mean that it can no longer be appreciated as the artwork it is? If so, does this show that its meaning has changed? Critically discuss in terms of theories we've discussed or are in the reading.
W-EVID	Wimsatt and Beardsley make a distinction between what they call "internal" and "external" evidence. (Actually they distinguish three classes of evidence.) Explain how they draw this distinction. Which evidence do they think is appropriate for a critical inquiry? Why? Critically discuss.
W-2CRI	Wimsatt and Beardsley distinguish "two radically different ways of looking for an answer" to the meaning of a poem. What are these two ways? Explain how each proceeds. Which do Wimsatt and Beardsley think is the way critical inquiry should proceed? Critically discuss.
HI-AUT	What does Hirsch mean by the "theory of semantic autonomy?" What view does the theory of semantic autonomy support concerning the interpretation of poetry and other art? Explain and critically discuss Hirsch's critique of this theory.
HI-SIG	Hirsch distinguishes the meaning and significance of a work of art. Explain this distinction. Explain how Hirsch uses this distinction to respond to the claim that the "meaning of a text changes -- even for the author." Critically discuss.
W-RETR	Richard Wollheim proposes that criticism is retrieval. Explain his view. How does he distinguish this from other views concerning what criticism is? Critically discuss.
W-REVI	Richard Wollheim explores a view he calls "criticism as revision." Explain this view. How does Wollheim criticize this view? What does he offer instead? Critically discuss.
W-SCRU	Richard Wollheim explores a view he calls "criticism as scrutiny." Explain this view. How does Wollheim criticize this view? What does he offer instead? Critically discuss.
W-OTIO	Richard Wollheim explores an argument that includes the claim that "retrieval is misleading when its results deviate from the finding of scrutiny and is otiose when its results concur with the findings of scrutiny." Explain what this dispute is about, being sure to explain the terms involved. What is Wollheim's view on this? Critically discuss.
S-INT	Susan Sontag talks about "interpretation" of a work of art. What does she mean by this? What is her objection to modern interpretation? If we are not to interpret, what does Sontag suggest we do in regard to works of art? Critically discuss.
D6-EMO	Davies asks "How can works of art, and not only characters in them, express emotions? Explore some answers, which Davies mentions, to this question. Critically discuss.
D6-EXPR	Davies looks at several theories which have been proposed concerning how music's expressiveness can be an objective property of it. Explain these theories and the differences among them.
D7-NON	Davies speaks of "the views of two philosophers -- ... Wollheim and ... Danto -- who subscribeto the idea ... that artwork pictures are to be distinguished from non-artwork pictures by reference to the role played by the use of stylistic features within them." (D p.181) Explain these views. What does distinguish artwork pictures from nonartwork pictures, if anything? Critically discuss.
D8-FUN	Davies wirtes "One way in which we eavluate humanly desinged items is in terms of how well they perform their function." (D p.202) Explain this view. Does it apply to art? Why or why not? Critically discuss.
B-AEST	What is the view that Beardsley calls "aestheticism?" Explain, using examples. Explain the arguments Beardsley considers in support of this view. Critically discuss.
B-MORA	What is the view that Beardsley calls "moralism?" Explain, using examples. Explain the arguments Beardsley considers in support of this view. Critically discuss.
B-TWO	Beardsley considers that the question "what good is art?" divides into two questions. Explain what these two questions are and what answers Beardsley offers to each question. Are Beardsley's answers good ones? Why or why not?
B-EFF	Beardsley discusses seven kinds of effects of aesthetic objects which, in his view, help to account for the inherent value of art. Explain what several (at least four) of these are. Is Beardsley right that aesthetics objects have these effects? Explain. Is art valuable because of these effects? Why or why not? Is art valuable? Why or why not?