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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PH 304"
COURSE NAME: "Philosophy of Art and Beauty"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2026
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Brunella Antomarini
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 8:30 AM 9:45 AM
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:

ART AFTER SCIENCE

 

 

The aim of this course is to give students a survey of the main philosophical problems arising from the questions of beauty and art, with a special emphasis on contemporary art forms. All artworks arise from a phase in which playfulness, experimentation, occasional integration (or montage) of heterogeneous elements and different traditions intertwine. Artists, like children, play with chance, error and disturbance, which result in constructed artificial spaces where virtual worlds make and build upon themselves. In art the ludic moment is merged with the traditional and the technical, as was the case in Renaissance times, whether it involved the use of geometric perspective, or of a rudimental camera obscura; or in modern times when they have infringed traditional rules to represent space, introducing new ones; or in recent attempts to test the creative abilities of algorithms. In particular, these factors of the aesthetic process will be addressed from the spectator’s point of view. we will see how the intertwining of productor and spectator is fundamental for the public value of art.

Key concepts to the structure of the lectures are: algorithm, allegorical, baroque, chance, editing (montage), embodied meaning, enactive perception, experiment, flung ink, mimesis, nature, perspective (reversed and geometric), pixels, presentation, representation, shanshui, still life, symbolic, technique, technologies.

 

Each class consists of introductory lectures, textual analyses and in-class discussion about specific theorists discussing artists or artistic currents. Power Point projections of classical and contemporary artworks are shown and discussed. A few guest lectures and a film may be included in the program. Class discussion and motivation are fundamental for the accomplishment of the required task.

 

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EXCERPTS FROM TEXTS TO BE EXAMINED IN DEPTH (any edition):

 

 

Plato on beauty (excerpts in Power Point)

Friedrich Nietzsche, excerpts from Gay Science (§§107-112):

https://philoslugs.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/the-gay-science-friedrich-nietzsche.pdf

Beyond Good and Evil (§§14;31):

https://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/Nietzsche-Beyond-Good-and-Evil.pdf

Twilight of the Idols (p. 23):

https://www.faculty.umb.edu/gary_zabel/Phil_100/Nietzsche_files/Friedrich-Nietzsche-Twilight-of-the-Idols-or-How-to-Philosophize-With-the-Hammer-Translated-by-Richard-Polt.pdf

The Birth of Tragedy (§5).

https://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/Nietzsche-The-Birth-of-Tragedy.pdf

 

Icon painting and Reverse perspective:

P. Florensky, Reversed perspective (201-241)

https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/465203588

 

Geometric Perspective

Leonardo da Vinci, from The Notebooks: A New Art of Invention; On Perspective (excerpts in Power Point).

Lister, New Media: Virtual reality in Renaissance and Baroque pp. 115-126

https://www.philol.msu.ru/~discours/images/stories/speckurs/New_media.pdf

 

From Baroque to avant-garde: Visual perception vs object of art

I. Kant, Critique of Judgement (tr. by Meredith; Pluhar; Guyer: Intro: §VII; §§17-23; §§ 46; 47; 49).

https://monoskop.org/images/7/77/Kant_Immanuel_Critique_of_Judgment_1987.pdf

G. Careri, Flights of Love (Ch. 2 and conclusion)

https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/30737031

Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Cezanne’s Doubt

https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/christianmieves/files/2020/03/Merleau-Ponty-Maurice-Sense-and-Nonsense_Cezanne.pdf

V. Kandinsky, The Spiritual in Art, Ch. VI; p.91. 

https://www.csus.edu/indiv/o/obriene/art206/onspiritualinart00kand.pdf

 

The avant-gardes and the loss of the aura

 

L.Henderson, X Rays and the Avant-garde

https://www.jstor.org/stable/776982

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

https://web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/benjamin.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pDE4VX_9Kk

A. Danto, The Abuse of Beauty (excerpt)

A. Noe, Varieties of Presence (Ch.5)

https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/794003987

 

Modern Dance and the Vocation of Art:

P. Virilio, The Accident of Art

Aesthetics in Eastern art

F. Jullien, The Great Image Has no Form, pp.1-7.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/arena-attachments/555149/8caae84f4eb8ecc6f997d9e79ca96ae6.pdf

 

ARTISTS’ TEXTS (online sources):

Veronese's Trial at the Inquisition

https://skunkworksblogdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/veroneses-responses-to-the-inquisition.pdf

Marcel Duchamp, The Creative Act

https://monoskop.org/images/7/7c/Duchamp_Marcel_1957_1975_The_Creative_Act.pdf

Malevich, Suprematism

https://monoskop.org/images/5/58/Malevich_Kazimir_1927_2000_Suprematism.pdf

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/kazimir-malevich-1561/five-ways-look-malevichs-black-square

Barnett Newman, The Sublime is Now

https://artkatvisualculture.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/newman-the-sublime-is-now.pdf

Conversations with Picasso

http://www.bcn.cat/museupicasso/en/picasso/conversation.pdf

An essay on Matisse, film by Francois Campaux (slow motion), 1946

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be2LBRc-k0U&NR=1&feature=fvwp

 

EXCERPTS FROM FILMS AND VIDEOS:

Amaranth Borsuk, Between Page and Screen (+ Hayles, p. 173 from Bacteria)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s-JFxEmtpY

Beckett, Buster Keaton, Film

Roberta Lapucci on Caravaggio

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjXYfpnp_IA)

Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dalì, Un chien andalou

Eisenstein, The Old and the New

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE2L045qTxc

Maya Deren, Meshes of the Afternoon

C.Marker, La Jétée

Leth/Trier, The Perfect Human

Excerpts from, Merce Cunningham and Pina Bausch

Theo Jansen, Animaris

Joseph Nachvatal, Computer virus project

Stelarc, The Body is Obsolete

Ian Cheng, Video games that play themselves

 

REFERENCE TEXTS:

The Routledge Companion of Aesthetics (online)

L. Shiner, The Invention of Art (pp.22-33; 90-93; 197-221; 251-255)

 

 

 
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

 

Through written and oral tests, readings and in-class discussions, students will be able to understand and interpret art and especially contemporary art, particularly in their latest technological expressions. The issues at stake will make students aware of the necessity of being critical and analytic in their evaluations of both philosophical arguments and art productions. 

The argumentative character of philosophy entails strong motivation, constant attention, active participation in class and interaction with the professor.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Participation in class and attendances 30%
2 PAPERS AT HOME 10%
(mid-term exam) Oral presentation 20%
FINAL EXAM Oral presentation40%
 This course is based on in-class discussions and the student’s presence is essential to the final grade. You are not allowed to use your electronic devices, to eat in class and to go out of the classroom in the middle of a discussion. Any of these actions will cause a decrease of the participation grade. 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. Each absence, excused or unexcused, will negatively affect your participation grade. Regardless of whether absences are excused, missing class discussions will hinder your understanding of the material and your ability to meet course objectives.  
   
TWO 9000ch-papers at home  20%

-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 course.
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

 

 

WEEK 1

Introduction

Leonardo

https://issuu.com/apmanuscripts/docs/codex_madird_binder_issuu_version?streamOrigin=master-121%3Bweb%2Fembed%2Fread_more_from_paying_publisher_from_fullscreen%3Bprofile&streamRanking=2&embed_cta=read_more&embed_context=embed&embed_domain=www.apmanuscripts.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=www.apmanuscripts.com

 

WEEK 2

Reverse and Geometric perspective

Veronese’s trial

WEEK 3

Baroque and modern art

WEEK 4

Hockney's and Lapucci’s hypothesis - the camera obscura

Careri, Bernini

WEEK 5

Kant and beauty

Kant and the sublime

WEEK 6

Duchamp and the avant-garde: electric space

Malevich and abstraction

WEEK 7

MID-TERM EXAM

FILM LA JETEE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeTdW6IrwIw

Benjamin

Benjamin on technology

WEEK 8 American avant-garde: Abstraction and Barnett Newman

WEEK 9

Alva Noe

Bryson, Jullien, on Eastern art

WEEK 10

E. Rossi: ubiquitous space (guest lecture)

WEEK 11

Still life Marcolli

WEEK 12

Elena Rossi on digital photography

FINAL MEETING WITH IFRANE STUDENTS

WEEK 13

Review

EXAM WEEK 14 REVIEW + REVIEW

FINAL EXAM