Abstract

It is a commonplace that no one can define the concept “art” in a way that is universally acceptable. Much the same applies to the concept “design” but this is rarely expressed. Many institutions use a title like “Art and Design” without reflecting on the similarities and differences between the two concepts. And many writers maintain that there is no difference between them. This paper challenges these commonplaces by suggesting definitions that may be universally acceptable. It concludes with the proposition that the differences between art and design are, in principle, so great that they may not be sub-classes of the one class.