João Lemos (University of Turin)

Abstract

In this talk, I reconstruct and examine Kant’s account of deception in art. I begin by reconstructing Kant’s definition of deception, drawing primarily on his lectures on anthropology. I then examine several objects and practices that Kant regards as deceitful and argue that, despite differences in the specific ways in which they deceive, all of these fall under Kant’s technical definition of deception as I reconstruct it. I conclude with two suggestions that may appear to conflict with the Kantian text. First, I suggest that there is no such thing as natural deception, that is, that all deception is human-made. Second, I suggest that while an artist may not meet the expectations she herself creates in her audience, this does not mean that her works are deceitful.