Truth Matters, Aesthetically
Abstract
This paper defends a version of aesthetic cognitivism: the truth of statements
expressed, implied, or alluded to by a work of fiction matters aesthetically, and
bears upon the work’s aesthetic value. Our aim is to explore a route from truth
to aesthetic value that claims, roughly, that, if our engagement with a work of
fiction is based on truth, it is more vivid than otherwise, and thereby contributes
to the aesthetic value of the work. Whether truth increases the vividness of our
engagement with fiction is an empirical question. On the assumption that it does,
we spell out some consequences for the aesthetic value, and in particular for the
literary value of a work, as well as for critical practice