Aesthetics and Arts - Research and Debate Seminar

Code:

MFIL060

Acronym:

EA_SID

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Philosophy

Instance: 2025/2026 - 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	11	study plan	1	-	3	19,5	81

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

To have first-hand acquaintance with a selection of authors and works of contemporary philosophy where questions of aesthetics and the arts are dealt with.

To relate the positions defended in the above mentioned works both with the philosophical tradition and with movements in contemporary philosophy.

To discuss the importance of aesthetics in the the different traditions of contemporary philosophy.

 

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

1. Readings, analysis and debate of selected texts of Merleau-Ponty, “Eye and Mind” (1961). 

2. Readings, contrasted analysis and debate of selected texts of Deleuze, “The Movement Image” (1983) and “The Time Image” (1985).

3. Readings, contrasted analysis and debate of selected texts from Sontag, “On Photography” (1977), Barthes, “Camera lucida” (1980).

(*one of the topics above will be chose)

Mandatory literature

Deleuze Gilles 1925-1995; A^imagem movimento. ISBN: 972-37-0958-9
Merleau-Ponty Maurice 1908-1961; L.oeil et l.esprit. ISBN: 2-07-032290-4
Roland Barthes; A^câmara clara. ISBN: 972-44-0076-X
Sontag Susan 1933-2004; On photography. ISBN: 978-0-141-03578-9

Complementary Bibliography

Roland Barthes; Poétique du récit. ISBN: 2-02-004512-5
Susan Sontag; Regarding the pain of others. ISBN: 0-312-42219-9
Wicks, R.; European Aesthetics: A Critical Introduction from Kant to Derrida, London, Oneworld, 2013

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 sessions consisting in textual work under active tutorial orientation (close reading), including moments of debate.

Distributed evaluation without final exam.
Students are required to attend at least 75% of classes (except in cases foreseen in the assessment regulations and cases of students who have successfully attented classes in the previous academic year).
Grades awarded to individual works, presented/defended in a seminar session

keywords

Humanities > Arts
Humanities > Philosophy > Aesthetics
Humanities > Philosophy

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	50,00
Participação presencial	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	31,00
Frequência das aulas	20,00
Trabalho escrito	30,00
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

In accordance with the Assessment Regulations in force.

Calculation formula of final grade

Written work (50%) + Active participation in the seminar, through discussion of own work and work of colleagues (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.