Is the ‘Intentional Fallacy’ really a fallacy?

UGRE presentation by Bryn Jones

What is the Intentional Fallacy?• Intention is the design or plan in the mind of the author or artist.• The intentional fallacy is the alleged mistake of believing that the intention of the author/artist is important or

relevant to the meaning of a piece of work.• David Lynch’s Mulholland drive• Art from previous centuries

Criticism of intentionalism

• 1st Criticism: We must be able to deal with the problem of cases where the intention of the author is unknown.

Intention can be important

• John Cage’s 4’33• Andy Warhol’s Brillo Boxes

Without the author’s intention, these works seem to mean very little. Would they even count as art?

With intentionalism we can explain why these works do count as art.

Hypothetical intentionalism

• well informed, careful audience imagine a postulated author's intention would be for the meaning of the work.

• If the author’s intentions are unknown, this is no longer a problem because we imagine what the intentions would be.

Is Hypothetical Intentionalism too generous?

• Do we give the author too much credit?• Lou Reed• If the music is a mistake, are we giving credit

to the piece were little is due?

Defence

• There is a difference between praising a piece of work and praising an author.

• Computer created art

Conclusion

• The intentional fallacy is not a fallacy.• Hypothetical intentionalism over comes the

problems posed by the supporters of the intentional fallacy.

• Sources: IRVIN, S. 2006. Authors, Intentions and Literary Meaning [online]. [Accessed 19/12/2010]. Available from:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-9991.2006.00016.x/full WIMSATT, W. K., M. C. BEARDSLEY. 1946. The Intentional Fallacy. The Sewanee Review. 54(3), pages 468-488.