PHIL 240 - Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

This course examines 19th and 20th century Continental philosophical approaches to the work of art, examining various aesthetic systems. Topics studied include: what constitutes a work of art and what is its work (or labor); aesthetic criteria; various interpretive schemas for approaching a work of art; the experience of either individual spectator and the experience of a larger group of recipients; and the relationship between the work of art and the world it is a part of. Questions asked include: what is art, and who is an artist? How is one to define or understand the beautiful (along with the ugly, sublime, and abject)? What does one expect or demand from a work of art? What is the origin and purpose of (a work of art)? What is the relationship between a particular artwork and art, more generally? How do the arts relate to one another? And how does technology transform (the work of) art? Osman Nemli.

Prerequisite(s): One 100-level Philosophy course or permission of the instructor.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS