Aesthetics and the Arts

Code:

MFIL043

Acronym:

EA

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Philosophy

Instance: 2018/2019 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Philosophy
Course/CS Responsible:	Masters in Philosophy

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MFIL	17	MFIL - Study Plan	1	-	9	75	243

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The main goal of the course is to introduce students to the study of aesthetics in its relation with contemporary art. The course starts with a discussion of alternative philosophical conceptions of art. A close reading of excerpts of classical texts on the beautiful, art, aesthetic judgement (and modernity) follows. Finally cases of philosophical approaches to particular art forms (painting, cinema, literature, music, photography, architecture) are considered

Learning outcomes and competences

Mastery of contemporary philosophical discussions on aesthetics and the arts.
Development of grounded personal stances on the issues.

Working method

Presencial

Program

I Introduction – What is art?

Essence. Representation. Expression. Form. Institutional theories.

II Angles of approach: the classics

Plato, The Symposium. Beauty.

Aristotle, Poetics. Mimesis and catharsis.

Kant, The Critique of Judgement. Aesthetic judgement. Judgement of taste.

Hegel, Aesthetics. The end of art.

Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy. The aesthetic justification of existence.

Wittgenstein. The Ethical and the Aesthetical are One.

Benjamin (e Baudelaire). Art, history, memory.

 

III. Philosophy and the arts: cases

 

Painting –Merleau-Ponty, Eye and MInd.

Cinema –G. Deleuze vs. S. Cavell.

Literature - S. Mulhall.

Music – J. Levinson and P. Kivy.

Photography  – S. Sontag, On Photography

Architecture - J. Palasmaa.

Mandatory literature

Vítor MOura; Arte em Teoria - uma Antologia de Estética, Braga, Húmus
Noel Carrroll; Filosofia da Arte, Lisboa, Texto e Grafia
NIgel Warburton; O que é a arte?, Lisboa, Bizãncio
Platão 428-348 a.C; O^banquete. ISBN: 978-972-44-1595-6
Aristóteles 384-322 a.C.; Poetica
Kant Immanuel 1724-1804; Crítica da faculdade do juízo. ISBN: 972-27-0506-7
Friederich Hegel; Estetica
Nietzsche Friedrich 1844-1900; A^origem da tragédia. ISBN: 972-665-244-8
Benjamin Walter 1892-1940; A^modernidade. ISBN: 972-37-1164-8
Merleau-Ponty Maurice 1908-1961; L.oeil et l.esprit. ISBN: 2-07-032290-4
Deleuze Gilles 1925-1995; A^imagem movimento. ISBN: 972-37-0958-9
Stanley Cavell; Cities of Words, Cambridge MA Harvard University Press
Sontag Susan 1933-2004; On photography. ISBN: 978-0-141-03578-9

Comments from the literature

In addition to the main bibliography references, other references will be given during the classes.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Seminar work; close reading of sources.
Invited speakers.

Evaluation in the course
 

The final grade attributed will take into consideration the following three elements:

(1) an initial research plan

(2) a public presentation and discussion of the proposal

(3) a final written form of the essay

keywords

Humanities > Philosophy

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	90,00
Participação presencial	10,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	73,00
Frequência das aulas	45,00
Trabalho de investigação	125,00
Total:	243,00

Eligibility for exams

In accordance with the Assessment Regulations in force.

Calculation formula of final grade

Essay 90% (1,2,3)+Participation in class 10%
1(10%)
2(40%)
3(50%)

Examinations or Special Assignments

E

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

In accordance with the assessment Regulations in force at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto.

Classification improvement

In accordance with the assessment Regulations in force at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto.
To the written paper.