Mar 28, 2024  
Catalogue 2019-2020 
    
Catalogue 2019-2020 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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PHIL 240 - Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)
This course examines 19th and 20th century philosophical approaches to the work of art, and aesthetic concerns, more generally. The course claims that works of art “have something to say” beyond their mere appearance and presence as objects in the world. Thus various perspectives will be examined and approaches taken. Depending upon text read and genre of art studied, we will look at: the work of the work of art, the objectivity of the work, the experience of the individual spectator and the experience of the community or audience, the intentions of the author(s), and the claims a work of art makes regarding the world it is produced in. The first half of the course will provide a grounding in certain philosophical concepts alongside a reading of central philosophical texts, while the second half will focus on specific case studies of works of art doing more than they appear to be showing. Questions addressed include: what is art and who is the artist? What does one expect or demand from art? What is beauty and the sublime, and what other categories are important in evaluating (a work of) art? What is the origin and purpose of (a work of) art? What is the relation between art, generally, and a work of art in particular? How does art relate to non-aesthetic areas of life? And, how does technology influence and transform (the work of) art?  Osman Nemli.

Prerequisite(s): One 100-level course in Philosophy.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS



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