Course Description
Philosophical theories about the arts; for example, painting, literature, and music. Questions to be addressed include: what makes art art? and what are appropriate criteria of good art? Attention may also be given to such topics as the function of art in society.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will be held to higher standards than
undergraduates in their written and oral performances. Additional
requirements might include additional papers, discussion posts or
reading responses, longer papers, papers with more intensive
research requirements, research presentations to the class, and
individual or group consultations with the instructor.
Athena Title
Aesthetics
Prerequisite
PHIL 2010 or PHIL 2010H or PHIL 2010E or PHIL 2020 or PHIL 2020H or PHIL 2020E or PHIL 2030 or PHIL 2030H or PHIL 2030E or any 3000-level PHIL course or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will be expected to develop an appreciation for philosophical issues arising in the consideration of art and to master arguments presented by authors treated in the course. Communicating effectively through writing and speech, relevant use of the computer, and critical thinking are all stressed. During the course the student should be improving in each of these skill areas.
Topical Outline
This course will consider philosophical theories about the arts by asking such questions as: I. What is beauty and what role does it play in the work of art? II. How do we judge art? III. Is art meaningful? Attention may also be given to such topics as the function of art in society.