Edited volume of reflections on museum philosophy for the 21st century from an international group of contributors.

What underlying philosophy and mission should museums pursue in the first half of the twenty-first century? In Museum Philosophy, twenty-four authors use the lenses of a variety of disciplines to answer this essential question. Museum professionals offer their answers alongside philosophers, historians, political scientists, educators, sociologists, and others in a wide-ranging exploration of institutions from art museums to zoos. Hugh Genoway's book offers philosophical and ethical guidelines, describes the ways specific institutions illustrate different philosophies, examines major divisions in the museum community, and explores outreach and engagement between the museum and its larger community. Both established museum professionals and students of museum studies will benefit from this insightful look into the foundations and future of their field.

Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 1. Assuming Responsibility: Lessons from Aesthetics
Chapter 3 2. Mind as Verb
Chapter 4 3. The Museum: Where Civilizations Clash or Clash Civilizes?
Chapter 5 4. Legal and Ethical Considerations in Museum Acquisitions
Chapter 6 5. Connection, Recollection, and Museum Missions
Chapter 7 6. Museums and Restlessness
Chapter 8 7. Philosophy and the Ends of the Museum
Chapter 9 8. The Moral Obligations Incumbent upon Institutions, Administrators, and Directors in Maintaining and Caring for Museum Collections
Chapter 10 9. As Long as the Grass Will Grow: My Teaching Philosophy
Chapter 11 10. Science Centres: Creating a Platform for Twenty-first Century Innovation
Chapter 12 11. Renewing the Social Contract at Berkeley
Chapter 13 12. Museums and (In)Justice
Chapter 14 13. Open Minds: Inclusive Practice
Chapter 15 14. Africal American Museums in the Twenty-first Century
Chapter 16 15. Learning by Looking: The Future of Museums
Chapter 17 16. A Plea for Silence: Putting Art back into the Art Museum
Chapter 18 17. Values, Advocacy, and Science: Toward an Empirical Philosophy for Zoo and Aquarium Leadership
Chapter 19 18. Current Trends in Governance and Management of Museums in Europe
Chapter 20 19. To Members of the Museum Profession
Chapter 21 20. The Power of Museum Pedagogy
Chapter 22 21. Defining Our Museum Audience: An Extraordinary Opportunity
Chapter 23 22. How Can Museums Attract Visitors in the Twenty-first Century?
Chapter 24 23. Community Choices, Museum Concerns
Chapter 25 Brief Biographical Sketches of Contributors