 The “ideal critics” solution has its problems, however. Briefly they concern three things. First, does the artistic appreciation of a work of art depend on first-hand acquaintance with that work of art? Whether there is independent empirical evidence that this appeal—to the need for first person experience in order to support any verdictive judgment—is a vexed problem. Second, how does the ideal critic come to her/his views in the first place? It is either by a process of learning from others whom they regard as ideal critics or it is by a process independent of the existence of ideal critics. If the latter, then we don’t need the “ideal critics;” all we have to do is undergo that independent process ourselves. If the former, then we have a either a “vicious infinite regress” with no rational starting place in the chain or we rely on the testimony of others (which in this area is also vexed). And, third, what is the case for the claim that there are “ideal judges” in the first place (Ross 2008)? Is there any reason to believe there are any?