Art has long puzzled philosophers, scientists, and artists alike. Why does it play such an important role in human societies despite having no obvious practical purpose? And what exactly makes something art in the first place, given the extraordinary diversity of artistic practices across cultures and historical periods?
My research approaches these questions from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. Theoretically, I draw on the aesthetics of pragmatism, which understands art not as a property of particular objects but as a form of creative engagement between organisms and their environments. From this perspective, artistic experiences emerge through dynamic interactions among people, cultural practices, and material surroundings.
Empirically, I investigate how art may benefit individuals and societies, as well as the psychological and social mechanisms that sustain artistic practices. Together with my collaborators, I have found evidence that collective dance may strengthen social cohesion and group identity, and that the social value of art may sometimes reside as much in its audiences and collectors as in its creators.
Selected Publications
Sorokowski, P., Luty, J., Malecki, W. P., Roberts, C. S., Kowal, M., & Davies, S. (2024). The collector hypothesis: Who benefits more from art, the artist or the collector? Human Nature, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-024-09481-7
Sorokowski, P., Luty, J., Malecki, W. P., & Kowal, M. (2023). Group dance, social cohesion, and social identity in the Yali society from Papua. Musicae Scientiae, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/10298649231200549
Małecki, W. (Ed.). (2014). Practicing pragmatist aesthetics: Critical perspectives on the arts. Amsterdam-New York: Rodopi. (224 pp.)
D. Koczanowicz & Małecki, W. (Eds.). (2012). Shusterman’s pragmatism: Between literature and somaesthetics. Amsterdam-New York: Rodopi. (238 pp.).
Małecki, W. (2010). Embodying pragmatism. New York: Peter Lang. (202 pp.).
Chinese edition: Małecki, W. (Trans. Y. Wang). (2019). 具身化”的实用主义：理查德·舒斯特曼的文学与哲学理论. Peking: China Social Sciences Press. (260 pp.).