According to Walton, the words can refer to any theories put forth by various researchers from different fields. Of those theories, the most well-known is “misrepresentation”, presented by researcher Kendall Walton. This notion deals with the essence of representation as found in art and literature. As Walton sees it, in fiction, we conjure the picture of a non-existent world with a set of visual images, which gives us a reason to drop our doubt and imagine the things inside the story as if they are real. According to Walton’s montage theory, the representation concept is challenged by the significance of imagination, as it ensures active interaction between the image and the narrative or the viewer. His theory significantly affects art and beauty because it explains how people look and behave regarding art. Here, the filmmaker critically discusses the relevance of these issues, such as the relationship between reality and imagination, the importance of imagination in developing beauty, and art that generates emotions. This paper will also examine Walton’s arguments, problems, and objections to his theory.
Kendall Walton, whose theory of fictional representation possesses a distinctive approach to representation, particularly in art and fiction, is in this regard. The immersion theory posits that we do not view paintings or novels as mere descriptions of our reality. We usually attach ourselves to the wrong systems and suspend our disbelief despite the actuality they are presented to us. According to Walton’s theory of what is called false representation, what a character sees shapes their imageries; however true they are acc, opting not to use their thoughts or be accessible from a false world (Lalić & Vidmar Jovanović 2024). By illuminating the interaction between reality and fiction, Walton sheds light on the complexity of aesthetic experience and the transformative power of imagination, art, and narrative. Some of the main arguments of Walton’s theory are: From the literary perspective, Walton maintains that imagination is an inimitable component of our relationship with works of art and fiction. Instead of seeing and interpreting, we start feeling like those things are happening to us and that it is reality. In this model of thinking, we can call to mind “primitive responses to the artificial situations” that we experience.
A drawback of Walton’s theory is that it is argued to be unproven, and its ideas depend exclusively on conjectures. Although one might instinctively feel that the hypothesis of fiction and art pervades almost everywhere in the human experience, it remains problematic to check and verify those specific propositions made by the theory. Walton’s theory underplays the significant role that authorial intent plays in interpreting novels and other art pieces. Critics may argue that Walton’s theory is based on the viewer’s standard and disregards the mental efforts and the choice of the artists and writers that can create the meaning and significance of the artwork.
Walton puts it as both activities, the experience of the future and the game of faith, just like the play of childhood. Within the game, the player can choose the rules, who can adopt assumptions and ignore the real world temporarily while immersing in the specific location of the world of the imaginary work of art or in the content to be described. For Walton, the imaginary realm is not the one of the physical world; it has its own rules and mentality. Fiction functions through imagined images; hence, filmmakers are open to more than true-to-life ideas. In contrast to this, though, they took the role of an alternative, suggesting a way out from the world’s stumbling block, enabling viewers to apprehend different points of view and experiences through the guide of cinema. Walton perceived that fictional experiences mentioned in books and stage plays have the same feeling as the real ones, getting the reader emotionally absorbed. With empathy for the fictional world, viewers have emotional feelings, practice intellectual thinking, and solve the problems of the work’s themes, motifs, and images. Walton’s theory is versatile enough to embrace many conclusions and conclusions produced by the stories and pictures. Due to the world of fiction being an open-ended, creative exploration, multiple audiences of the same work could explore and interpret the fiction in various ways. Instead of striving for rational argumentation, he maintains that humans can confront their various feelings through contemplation of art and vivid settings.
On the one hand, this impresses the visual representation of fiction by Kendall Walton, which is a positive approach to beauty’s notion. Still, there are specific issues and controversies. Either of these happens because of an in-depth study of the multifaceted nature of how art is created and consumed and its meaning in life. Also, the mimesis theory gives a new and unique way of analyzing art and fiction. According to Arielli (2021), this theory has several criticisms and issues. One of the problems in Walton’s theory is that he puts too much emphasis on emotion in the context of beauty. Thus, others may need to pay more attention to other essential details such as the history, cultural meaning, and the author’s wishes. By considering the function of participation, Walton’s theory can guide artists in creating artwork and encourage the audience.
The other problem of Walton’s imagery theory is that various interpretations and reactions occur due to stories and images presenting a relationship different from the ultimate goal of aesthetic value determination. Opponents argue that such a theory would demolish the significance of philosophical and aesthetic deliberations concerning art and negate the sole basis for critical judgment. Besides, critics of Walton’s view claim that it accentuates the role of authorial ideas at the expense of correctly understanding novels and other works of art. The opponents argue that Walton’s perspectivism theory negates the roles played by imagination and creative choices of the artist or writer in forging the meaning and significance of the depiction (Arielli 2021). Thus, Walton’s theory drops some candidates outside fiction and art into uncertain areas. Criticizers say this process does not fit the review of models that endeavour to interpret and cooperate with many things, such as scientific models, religious symbols, and political propaganda.
Different concerns around Kendall Walton’s false representation theory have been felt. Despite all that, the theory gives a new understanding of art and fiction, and the writers also point out some problems. According to Kendall Walton’s theory of fiction, we can draw valuable conclusions regarding the beauty of knowledge, supporting this theory and having significant problems with it. To deal with those complaints, one should bear in mind the complexity of production, reception, and interpretation, and in addition, to get a deeper look into the relationship between reality and text. Some objections to Walton’s theory are that he stresses the role of imagination too much when he talks about aesthetic experiences. People argue that imagination is essential but may not be so necessary in connection with art and narrative. Apart from these factors, the cultural context, the historical significance, and the purpose of the maker also play an essential role in people’s interpretation and appreciation of artistic sk
Authoritative Purpose being disrespected is another criticism of this view. According to Walton, there is no supreme authority in art and fiction’s interpretation. Opponents of this approach argue that it makes us lose the original point of the artist or writer, and consequently, we may misinterpret or even falsely interpret the whole message. Realizing the designer’s targets can add information to the art process and promote our admiration for this work ( Ichino., 2022). Another idea by Walton is relativism and subjectivity, through which many interpretations and different responses may occur, and this kind of non-objective relativity in the assessment of beauty is a result. Critics have claimed that the theory disputes the value of critical discourse and art appreciation; therefore, only some criteria or standards for evaluating the artwork come up.
Waltons’s idea tries to illustrate the contradictions and uncertainties regarding the relationship between the fictional and natural world. For instance, how can we correlate the idea of made-up events with the knowledge that they are artistic? Critics argue that Walton’s theory cannot satisfactorily address these ambiguities and can lead to diverse or discordant interpretations of representation. However, despite this fact, Walton’s theory has some advantages in dealing with representation in fiction and art. Those sceptical of this process believe that the representation of design aspects may have many interpretations, such as scientific models, religious symbols, or propaganda, and should not be modelled after nonfiction. On the other hand, some critics argue that this opinion is not justified as it is mere speculation drawn on no evidence (Ichino.,2022). Even though the idea of fiction sticks with someone because of their personal experience with fiction and art, it is tough to empirically verify or test the specific claims of Walton’s philosophy of fiction.
The summary of Kendall Walton’s theory of fictional representation presents a fascinating approach to the question of art and fiction. The crux of this concept is that when we engage with novels or artistic works, wearily them as representations of real life; instead, our primary preoccupation is often with a different point of reference. According to Walton, imagination is vital for us to identify and enjoy the beauty around us. According to him, once we find ourselves in the flow of a good book or artwork, we play the game of fiction, which involves temporary suspension of disbelief and unique immersion into the imaginary world. Through the concept of ‘half-belief’ or ‘false belief’, we believe its contents are true but realize that we are ‘thinking’ and ‘knowing.’ indeed. For Walton, the word imagination is a world of its own, different from reality, and that imagination has its thoughts and laws. But even though they may be inspired by reality, they still do not depict things as they are—instead, they choose what would be the best of all possible worlds. Thus, this theory leaves room for many responses to the stories and cartoons. Rather than striving for a particular meaning that cannot be discerned, this theory accepts the diversity of feelings that arise from our dealings with work. First, it considers the beginning and the power of such a beautiful relationship as the theory focuses on the emotions and intellect of human responses towards art and fiction as we mostly grapple with the problems of representation and meaning.
Although his argument seems logical, people still disagree with Walton’s theory due to political power, the matter of relativity, and the unclear nature of the relationship between reality and fiction. Nonetheless, Walton’s theory of fiction has become the subject of significant debate in philosophy and the arts, which centres around the essence of representation in artistic endeavours and the role of the imagination in enriching the aesthetics of artistic experience.
References
Arielli, E. (2021). Reality, Fiction, and Make-Believe in Kendall Walton. The Palgrave Handbook of Image Studies, 363-377.
Ichino, A. (2022). Conspiracy theories as Walt-fiction. In The Philosophy of Fiction (pp. 240-261). Routledge.
Lalić, E. L., & Vidmar Jovanović, I. (2024). Patrik Engisch and Julia Langkau (eds.), The Philosophy of Fiction: Imagination and Cognition, New York: Routledge, 2023, 296 pp. Croatian Journal of Philosophy, 24(70), 131-134.
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