Antony Aumann - Philosophy Department

Our encounters with art can change us in ways both big and small. How Art Transforms Us is about the biggest way. It explains how art can get us to abandon who we have been and become somebody new. More specifically, it offers an account of how movies, novels, and the like are not just sources of pleasure or knowledge but also occasions for transformation.

A central thesis of the book is that art does not always change us in honest and straightforward ways. This point is not new in the history of philosophy; Plato already made it in the Republic. But whereas he saw it as cause for concern, Aumann argues that it is also a reason for celebration. We are often better off leaning into art’s transformative power than shying away from it. 

"Philosophically engaging and deeply attentive to the texture of art and narrative, this book is an essential contribution to aesthetics, the philosophy of transformative experience, and our understanding of why art matters.”
- L. A. Paul, Yale University

“It is a commonplace that art can change us, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. In How Art Transforms Us, Antony Aumann has given us a comprehensive, engaging, and philosophically astute account of how these changes happen and what to think about them.”
- Kenneth Walden, Dartmouth College

“Aumann’s book is a tantalizing guide to the dangers and delights of giving in to art’s seductions, full of illuminating examples and rich analysis that equips readers to reflect more deeply on a core aspect of their lives.”
- Matthew Strohl, University of Montana

Art and Selfhood: A Kierkegaardian Account lies at the intersection of existentialism and the philosophy of art, focusing on issues and problems having to do with our personal identity. It brings together these two topics to show that works of art matter partly because they can help us with the project of selfhood. In other words, works of art can offer us much-needed guidance and support as we try to figure out who we really are.

“Antony Aumann’s Art and Selfhood strikes a remarkable balance between philosophical ambition and communicative clarity.... Unafraid both to walk with Kierkegaard and to challenge him, Art and Selfhood cements Aumann’s place as a leading voice of Kierkegaardian thought.”
- Patrick Stokes, Deakin University

“This excellent book not only advances our understanding of art and selfhood as viewed from an existential standpoint: it also offers an appreciative and insightful reading of both the ‘how’ and the ‘what’ of Kierkegaard’s literary artistry.”
- Rick Anthony Furtak, Colorado College