Ontology of Performance in Light of Kazimierz Twardowski’s Theory of Actions and Products

Daniel R. Sobota

doi:10.14394/filnau.2023.0013

Authors

Daniel R. Sobota Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4603-6346

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14394/filnau.2023.0013

Keywords:

performance, performance studies, Kazimierz Twardowski, ontology of action

Abstract

Using the original reflections of the Polish philosopher Kazimierz Twardowski (1866–1938), founder of the Lvov-Warsaw School, the article aims to present the ontological status and qualities of the phenomenon of artistic performance. Through linguistic analysis, Twardowski tried to capture the difference and the mutual relationship between action and its product. In the first part, we present Twardowski’s theory of action and product; in the second, we try to identify several properties of performance that are indicated by the main theorists of performance; in the third part, even though Twardowski’s findings are problematic at times, we show the possibility of using them to enhance our understanding of the ontological peculiarity of performance. In the concluding section, we present contributions to the structure of the general theory of performance, taking into account not only artistic performance but also organizational and technical performance.

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