美國著名美學家丹托（Arthur C. Danto）認為當藝術史的發展結束之後，藝術的本質才會出現，我們就可以成功給藝術下定義。代表藝術終結的是沃霍爾（Andy Warhol）的〈布瑞洛盒〉，這件作品在外觀上跟日常事物根本沒有分別。如果藝術在外觀上可以跟非藝術沒有分別；那麼，兩者的真正差別在那裡呢？丹托認為差別就在於非外顯性質；換言之，藝術的本質就存在於非外顯性質。丹托是第一個從非外顯性質層面給藝術下定義的哲學家，這個方向對狄奇（George Dickie）、李文生（Jerrold Levinson）、士狄加（Robert Stecker）和戴維斯（Stephen Davies）等人的藝術定義都有影響。本文主要討論丹托的藝術定義，包括其早期和後期的不同看法，並作出批評，及審視外顯性質和非外顯性質的區分。

The famous American philosopher A.C. Danto thinks that the essence of art only emerge when the development of art came to the end. After that we are able to define art successfully. Andy Warhol’s “Brillo Box” represents the end of art. This artwork is outwardly indiscernible to the commonplace. If there is no difference between art and non-art in appearance, what is the real difference? Danto suggests that the real difference lies in the non-manifest property. In the other words, the essence of art exists as non-manifest property. Danto is the first philosopher who trying to define art in terms of non-manifest property. This approach has influenced other philosophers such as George Dickie, Jerrold Levinson, Robert Stecker and Stephen Davies. This paper would mainly discuss Danto’s art definition, including his earlier and later definitions, and the distinction between manifest and non-manifest property.