Introduction

Although depiction plays as important a role as language in contemporary culture and communication, this role is relatively poorly understood. While the philosophy of language has long been considered a philosophical discipline in its own right, the philosophy of depiction is usually though of, when it is thought of at all, as a sub-discipline in aesthetics. This is like conflating the philosophy of language with the philosophy of literature. Although there are many interesting issues concerning the aesthetics of pictures, at least as many non-aesthetic issues fall within its domain. The Introduction provides an overview of both the main issues in the philosophy of depiction and the main positions contemporary philosophers hold with regard to those positions, and give readers a sense of how these issues and positions are related. Secondly, it situates the various chapters in this collection in relation to these issues and positions. This Introduction is intended to provide both useful background knowledge for those unfamiliar with the topicsaddressed by the chapters that follow, and a tool to assist subsequent reflection on their wider implications.