New Course S'26

PHIL 085. Aesthetics

This class is designed to bridge philosophical concepts with our own experiences making and appreciating art (and non-art) of all kinds. We will consider a range of central questions in aesthetics and philosophy of art, such as: What is beauty? Or ugliness? What guides the agency of artists? What makes a good work of art a good work of art? What about everyday objects, experiences, and places-what makes them aesthetically meaningful? What about the aesthetics of abstract objects like scientific theorems or works of conceptual art? Why, cognitively, do we have aesthetic experiences in the first place? Is there aesthetic truth? What knowledge of the world can we obtain through aesthetic experience? What is the role of the imagination in bringing works of art to life? Who or what has authority over a work’s meaning-author, work, or audience? We’ll explore these questions both abstractly and through particular media-both ‘fine’ arts such as painting, music, poetry, film, and literature-and popular or applied arts such as fashion, video, food, architecture, interiors, and games. 
Professor Berinstein, Tues/Thurs, 2:40pm