COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course addresses the major themes and theories in the philosophy of art.  By the end of the course, students should have a general knowledge of what philosophers have claimed about aesthetic experience, the nature of art, theories of artistic understanding and judgement, and the function of art in society.

 ***A precautionary note: This course functions on the assumption that some, though surely not all, artworks are disruptive, disturbing, and sometimes even offensive; in short, art can be dangerous! If you have delicate sensibilities or are easily offended, this course may not be for you.

REQUIRED TEXTS

The following materials are required reading for the course.  Texts are available in the bookstore.

• Steven M. Cahn, Stephanie Ross, and Sandra Shapshay, Aesthetics: A Comprehensive Anthology, 2ed (Blackwell, 2020)

 **Other electronic sources.

EXPECTATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Participation and attendance: My basic assumption is that we are mutually dedicated to the common cause of education conceived as the advancement of critical thinking.  Because of this basic assumption, I assume that you will come to class prepared and ready to participate in class discussion.  This means, first, that you will have completed assigned readings prior to the class meeting.  (Many of the readings are difficult and I do not expect you to understand them completely; I do, however, expect you to engage the material seriously and to ask about anything you do not understand.)  Second, I expect that you will be ready and willing to discuss the material, i.e., to raise questions, criticisms, thoughts, etc.  Class participation is worth 10 points toward your final grade.  I also assume that you will be in attendance and on time to all class sessions, barring unforeseen circumstances.  Each unexcused absence will result in subtraction of 1 point (10%) from your final general participation grade.

Initial analysis of an artistic work: You will write a 3-page analysis of an artwork of your choosing. Your initial artistic analysis is worth 10 points. While I am willing to accept a wide definition of “artwork,” there are some restrictions on your choice:

• The object must be an artifact, i.e., an object manufactured by a human agent for a purpose. Sunsets, trees, and persons may be aesthetically pleasing, as may be doodles in the margins of your notes, but for our purposes, they may not be considered “art.” The very word “art” implies that the artistic object is an artifact.

• The object should be complex and interesting enough that it is worthy of analysis. This will be the first of two analyses you will produce on this object, so choose carefully. It should be interesting enough (at least for you) and complex enough to merit this kind of attention. Things that are “merely pretty,” i.e., decorative objects, do not usually meet this standard.

• You must avoid objects that are patently racist, misogynistic or homophobic, or pornographic. What makes objects “patently racist, misogynistic or homophobic, or pornographic”  may be an open question (though typically it is not). As I indicated above, art may be disruptive or disturbing or offensive. If you have questions about your object in this regard, you had best check with me.

• In order to analyze your object, you will need to know something about it. This means you will need to do some basic research on your object. Here are the kinds of things I will be looking for:

  • Who created the object? Perhaps the most basic information you will need to know about your object is who made it. This is not always possible; for instance, the actual creators of architectural monuments like Angkor Wat in Cambodia or Chartres Cathedral in France are not known. In such cases, we usually look to the cultures where these monuments were created to answer the who question.

  • What was (were) the creator(s) trying to say with their work? Given that artworks are created by human agents for a purpose, we should assume that artists are at least trying to convey something in their works. Artistic intention is often difficult to discern, but often we can make some guesses. Does the artist seek to convey some ideas or ideals? Does the artist aim to challenges presuppositions or norms? Does the artist merely wish to create something beautiful (and what does beautiful mean for this person)? These are all relevant questions for analysis.

  • Where/when was the object created? Social and historical context tells a lot about the meaning and significance of artworks, so whatever object you choose, you should be able to say something about this. Does the object speak to specific historical/social/cultural/political circumstances? Is it part of an artistic movement? Does it stand as a challenge to an existing artistic movement?

  • Why should we consider this object an important art object? Human agents make many different kinds of things, most of which are not artworks. Why should your choice be considered art? Many artworks are banal, uninteresting, or simply bad. Why should your choice merit consideration? This last question is the most important one; and perhaps, also, the most difficult one, especially since you likely lack adequate conceptual and philosophical resources to give a complete answer. Try anyway.

Midterm examination: The mid-term will be worth 20 points.

Final analysis an artistic work: Near the end of the class you will return to your chosen artistic work to analyze it again, this time with more conceptual and philosophical resources at your disposal. Clarification of this assignment will be provided later in the term. The final artistic analysis will be worth 30 points.

Arts engagement reflection: You will be required to engage the arts in some venue independently during the term and a write a 2-3 page reflection on this experience worth 10 points. Your engagement might entail a visit to an art museum or organized gallery exhibit, or attendance at a performance on campus. I will provide a list of possible museums in the general area and of accepted performances/events on campus. Your reflection should deal with the following:

• brief description of the event or performance

• whether you judged it to be artistically meritorious and why

• how attending the event or performance benefitted you (There must be some way it benefitted you, otherwise why go; “I got convocation credit” and the like are not acceptable answers. Try harder.)

Final examination: The final exam will be worth 20 points.

 A total of 100 points is possible for the class. The point breakdown is as follows: class participation = 10 points; initial analysis of an artistic work = 15 points; midterm exam = 20 points; final analysis of an artistic work = 25 points; arts engagement reflection = 10 points; final exam = 20. The grading scale is as follows:

93-100: A 90-92: A-

87-89: B+ 83-86: B 80-82: B-

77-79: C+ 73-76: C 70-72: C-

60-69: D

Below: 60: U

**Grading policy: While grades are important, they are secondary to learning. I offer the opportunity to redo assignments where possible. In order to redo an assignment, you and I must agree to a process that accomplishes the goal of learning and a deadline for submission of the assignment. Redoing an assignment will guarantee you a grade increase of one grade-step for that assignment (e.g., from a C to a C+), provided you follow through with our agreement, and more if your work merits it. Exams are excluded from this policy.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

With regard to academic honesty, the Centre College Student Handbook states:

“A high standard of academic honesty is expected of students in all phases of academic work and college life. Academic dishonesty in any form is a fundamental offense against the integrity of the entire academic community and is always a threat to the standards of the College and to the standing of every student. In taking tests and examinations, doing homework or laboratory work, and writing papers, students are expected to perform with honor. In written and oral work for college courses, students will be held responsible for knowing the difference between proper and improper use of source materials. The improper use of source materials is plagiarism and, along with other breaches of academic integrity, is subject to disciplinary action. . . If the instructor has a concern about a student’s academic honesty, the Associate Dean of the College must be notified” (Centre College Catalogue).

The Academic Honesty policy will be strictly upheld.  We will use the services provided by “Turnitin.com” to aid us in this endeavor.

IN-CLASS COMPUTER USE POLICY

 Unless you can produce valid documentation indicating that you must use a computer to take class notes, laptops and notebook computers may not be used in class.  This is for two principle reasons: 1) Hand-writing your class notes is a more active and engaged process, and hence is a more effective means of organizing class discussions than typing them. 2) The tendency toward multi-tasking during class, i.e., checking email, updating Facebook, etc., inevitably causes students to miss important material. Unless informed otherwise, computers must remain stowed in the off-position until the class has come to a safe stop at the conclusion of the period.

Schedule

Aesthetic Experience