What is Art? What is Beauty? How can I know what is beautiful? And what does it mean to me? These are some of Aesthetics’ main questions as it is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and value of art and the criteria of artistic judgment and experience. Various answers have been given throughout the history of philosophy, from Plato and Aristotle to Kant and today’s analytical or postmodern philosophy, making of aesthetics a vibrant and dynamic discipline, constantly revitalised by new art forms and critical concepts. Through a thorough historical survey of the notion students learn to discuss art and beauty in a time when these classical notions are undergoing very important changes. Everyone is encouraged to bring in his or her own experience of art.
Due to its cross listing with PL 3074, this 3000 level Art History does not have a pre-requisite in Art History
Code
AH3074
Name
PHILOSOPHY OF AESTHETICS
Credits
4
Pre-requisites
None
Co-requisites
None
Equivalencies
Can be taken twice for credit?
No
Discipline
AH (Art History)
Level
Undergraduate
Type
GE100
CAMS ID
2973
Last update with CAMS
Identify and compare concepts, theses and arguments between at least two different philosophical approaches to aesthetics.
Reflectively apply aesthetic concepts and questions to phenomena and discourses outside philosophy.
Distinguish between different historical approaches to aesthetics.
Construct bridges between philosophical aesthetics and neighboring disciplines such as art history and art theory, film studies, comparative literature, visual culture studies, or semiotics.
Write an analytic and argumentative essay that answers a rich question in the field of aesthetics.