The author discusses the possibility of defining the concept of art. Using classical types of definition is rejected as it is impossible to unambiguously determine the diferentia specifica of art in relation to other human practices. Instead, the author suggests a different approach to this problem which is reflected in the examination of the differences between art, on the one hand, and nature, science, crafts and technique, on the other. While examining the relation between art and these other forms of human practices, the author also points out the most important historical transformations of the concept of art. Finally, the author concludes that, in the effort to define a modern concept of art, it is necessary to clear this concept of the inherited assumptions and prejudices that can distort its true meaning.
