Demonstrating vs. Depicting: Response to De Brabanter

Philippe de Brabanter argues in this important paper that a theory of quotation needs to be pragmatic and to start with the notion of ‘depiction’. I agree with the first claim, but the second one needs further clarification. De Brabanter argues that demonstrations (for example, using a tennis racket to demonstrate aspects of Hendrix’s guitar playing) depict; but paintings and sculptures are also said to depict – and exactly how is a hot topic in the literature on aesthetics. Another worry is the lack of a clear distinction in the paper between pure quotation and direct reports. There is no doubt, however, that De Brabanter’s paper is a valuable challenge to everyone working on quotation.