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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PH 304"
COURSE NAME: "Philosophy of Art and Beauty"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Summer Session I 2017
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Brunella Antomarini
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MTWTH 4:00PM 5:45PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisites: One previous philosophy course or Junior Standing Co-requisites: EN 110; Recommended Junior Standing
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
On this course we will examine philosophers’ fascinating attempts to understand art and explore the multiple roles that it can play in our lives. We will consider such issues as what ‘art’, ‘beauty’, ‘creativity’, ‘expression’, and ‘imagination’ can mean, whether our judgments about them can ever be objective, how art relates to our feelings and to our understanding of the external world, how it reflects society, religion, and politics, and the radical differences between contemporary, modern, and classical kinds of art.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Lectures and seminars will serve the purpose to analyze chosen topics (focused on visual art, with a look at theatre, poetry, music and dance). Power Point projections of classical and contemporary artworks are shown and discussed. A few guest lectures and films may be included in the program. 

EXCERPTS FROM TEXTS TO BE EXAMINED IN DEPTH (in any good editions or online, or in books on reserve in the library)

G. Alberti, On Painting

W.Benjamin, The Work of Art in the Age if its Mechanical Reproduction 

J. Beuys, What is Art? Conversation with JB (Harlan, ed.)

G. Careri, Flights of Love

A.Danto, The Abuse of Beauty

G. Deleuze, Cinema2: The Time-Image

M. Duchamp, The Creative Act

I. Kant, Critique of Judgement

N. Luhmann, Art as a Social System

B. Newman, The Sublime is Now

Pico della Mirandola, Dignity of Man

A. Portmann, Essay on Zoology

Plato, Republic X, Phaedrus, Symposium

Ramachandran, The Science of Art

Paul Virilio, The Accident of Art

REFERENCE TEXTS:

L. Shiner, The Invention of Art

L. Henderson, Duchamp in Context

EXCERPTS FROM FILMS:

Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dalì, Un chien andalou

Salvador Dalì and Walt Disney, Destino

Germain Dulac and Antonin Artaud, La coquille et le clergyman

Glitch music (Autechre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acuwRHIWL_o)

Theo Jansen, Animaris

William Kentridge, Automatic Writing

Schneider/Beckett/Buster Keaton, Film

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will be able to understand modern art and to master art history from a theoretical perspective. Theories of art pass from analysing the aesthetic way to convey meaning to analysing the way in which artworks resist meaning. The study of the role the artwork's pure exhibition value plays in the arts will constitute the core argument. The issues at stake will make students aware of the necessity to be critical and analytic in their evaluations of both philosophical arguments and art productions.

TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Mid term exam 25%
final examination 40%
Papers, participation in class, attendance  35%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the cours
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY



You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Introduction

From primitive to contemporary art

Plato on beauty and perception (aisthesis), Republic X, Phaedrus

Renaissance: Pico and Alberti

Renaissance: Linear Perspective and Baroque

Baroque and Careri

Kant on the sublime

Beauty in Kant

The sublime in Kant

Duchamp and Hendersen

Barnett Newman

review

MID-TERM EXAMINATION

Films: Bunuel, Dalì; Dulac, Artaud.

Lyotard’s sublime

Andy Warhol: Hegel and Danto

Reading Danto

Benjamin and the loss of aura

Shiner, The Invention of Art 

Luhman: Art as a System

Ramachandran

Lars von Trier, 5 Obstructions

Comment on film

Joseph Beuys

Virilio and the art market

Seminar

Review