Thinking with images: An interview with Thomas E. Wartenberg

In his most recent book, Thoughtful Images: Illustrating Philosophy Through Art (2023), Thomas E. Wartenberg explores the variety of ways in which visual art has illustrated philosophy. Employing a new framework for thinking about the nature of illustration, Wartenberg surveys a wide variety of cases which, he argues, show not only that philosophical concepts can be illustrated but that such illustrations have the capacity to do philosophy in a substantial way. In this interview, Professor Wartenberg and I discuss the book and its central themes, including the nature and aesthetics of illustration, how art can cultivate philosophical understanding, and how it can contribute unique philosophical insight.