Aesthetics and Language

Code:

CL004

Acronym:

ELING

Instance: 2020/2021 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Portuguese and Romance Studies
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Language Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
CL	42	CL - Study Plan	1	-	6	4
EP	2	EP - Study Plan	3	-	6	4

Teaching language

Portuguese
Obs.: Portuguese

Objectives

GOALS: This course aims to provide students a set of pedagogical references on language as an aesthetic object, considering, in particular, the common fields of Rhetoric and Philology. Secondly, it aims to considerer some arguments, examples and authorities that help to shape critical thought, and estimates the complexity of the "aestetical" label, both in the so-called “common” language and “literary” language.

Learning outcomes and competences

SKILLS: Students must acquire pedagogical references about language as a scientific object, specialy in the epistemological field common to Aesthetics and Philology. They must be able to consider multiple functions of language, from a rhetorical/ aesthetical point of view, the perspectives of Logos/ Reason, Ethos/ Credibility and Pathos/ Emotion, both in the so-called “common” language and the “literary” language. They should also have a good perception of the importance of rhetorical/ aesthetical figures as shapers of the knowledge, and a good understanding of "aesthetical intention" , and its role both on literary and non-literary languages.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Not appliable.

Program

I. Aesthetics as Experience and as Science
1. Sense, Sentiment, Sensibility and Sign. 
2. The autonomy of Aesthetics as human science: reading Baumgarten once again (1750). 
3. Aesthetics, Rhetoric and Philosophy, complementary areas of linguistic knowledge. 

II. Language and sensible reality: some timeless questions about "re-presentation" of signs (significant and significations).
1. Words and Things, Facts and Opinions, Words and Signs.
2. Conventionality, Motivation and Need. Some canonical texts. The utility of the unuseful.
3. Denotation and Connotation.
4. Reading levels. Signs, Symbols and Myths. Silence and silent languages.

III. Speech and Figures of speech.
1. From Forms to Contents. Analysis of some texts and contexts.
2. From Contents to Forms. Analysis of some texts and contexts.
3. Narrative structures: "How to do things with words" (Austin). From "Storytelling" to "Verbicidal" (Ch. Saumon). 

Mandatory literature

ARISTÓTELES, HORÁCIO, LONGINO ; A Poética Clássica, São Paulo, Cultrix, 1985
AUSTIN, John L. ; How to do Things with Words, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1965
BARILLI, Renato; Curso de Estética, trad. Isabel T. Santos, Lisboa, Estampa, , 1992
BARTHES, Roland; A câmara clara, Lisboa: Edições 70, 2012
BURKE, Edmond ; Uma Investigação filosófica acerca da origem das nossas ideias do Sublime e do Belo, Edições 70, 2013. ISBN: 978-972-44-1751-6
CARVALHO, José G. Herculano de ; Teoria da Linguagem. Natureza do Fenómeno linguístico e a análise das línguas, 2 vols., Coimbra, Atlântida, 1979
Jean Chevalier; Dicionário dos símbolos. ISBN: 972-695-215-8
HALL, Edward T. ; A linguagem silenciosa, Lisboa, Relógio d'Água, 1994
Johan Huizinga; Homo ludens. ISBN: 972-44-1184-2
KANT, I.; Crítica da Faculdade do Juízo, Lisboa, IN-CM, 1998
LAUSBERG, Heinrich; Elementos de Retórica Literária, Lisboa, F. C. Gulbenkian, 1972
MALATO, M. Luísa / CUNHA, Paulo Ferreira da ; Manual de Retórica&Direito , Lisboa, Quid Juris, 2007
Alberto Manguel; Um^diário de leituras. ISBN: 9789724153773
MARTIN, John ; The Intercultural Performance Handbook, London, Routledge, 2004
NIETZSCHE, F. ; Da Retórica, Lisboa, Vega, 1995
ORDINE, Nuccio; A utilidade do inútil, Ágora, 2018. ISBN: 978-989-99583-1-9
PLATÃO ; Crátilo, trad. M. José Figueiredo, Lisboa, Instituto Piaget, 2001
Vladimir Propp; Morfologia do conto
PROSE, Francine; Reading like a Writer. A guide for people who love books and for those who want to write them, Harper, 2006. ISBN: 978-0-06-077705-0
SCHILLER, F. ; Sobre a Educação Estética do Ser Humano numa Série de Cartas e Outros Textos, Lisboa, IN-CM, 1994
Susan Sontag; Ensaios sobre fotografia. ISBN: 978-989-722-058-6
TOWNSEND, Dabney ; Introdução à Estética. História. Correntes. Teorias, trad. Paula Mourão, Lisboa, Edições 70, 2002
YAGUELLO, Marine; Alice no país da linguagem : para compreender a linguística, Lisboa : Estampa, 1997

Complementary Bibliography

CARVALHO, Mário de; Quem disser o contrário é porque tem razão, Porto Editora, 2014

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical classes: exposition and comment on fundamental texts from the bibliography.
Practical classes: analysis of a text or an image, applying the aesthetical concepts to specific linguistic situations, classified as "artistic" or "non-artistic" situations.
Preparation of a personal portfolio with all the exercises presented by the students during the semester.

Software

Humanities

keywords

Humanities
Humanities > Literature
Humanities > Philosophy
Humanities > language sciences

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	50,00
Prova oral	25,00
Trabalho escrito	25,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	72,00
Frequência das aulas	39,00
Trabalho de investigação	49,00
Trabalho escrito	2,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

In accordance with regulations in force.
Mandatory attendance of at least 75% of classes

Calculation formula of final grade

Portfolio: 50%.
Written Text/ Final exam: 50%.

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not appliable.

Internship work/project

Not appliable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Not applicable

Classification improvement

Only the exam ("época normal" of final avaluation) is subject to improvement of grade.

Observations

Extra-class appointments will be scheduled with students.