Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art

Module overview

You might watch a stunning film, hear a delightful song, enjoy a beautiful sunset, read a dreadful poem, attend an elegant dance, or see a garish building. Experiences like this can stimulate thoughts and feelings of great depth, and provide pleasure or displeasure of an utterly unique sort. Indeed, our experience of works and art or of nature can be transformative; they can change one’s thoughts and feelings about the world. It is no surprise, then, that many of the great philosophers from ancient times to the present day have contributed to aesthetics, by investigating the nature and importance of such experiences and the judgements they give rise to. This module aims to introduce you to some influential theories and arguments in philosophical aesthetics and to give you the tools to reflect critically on those theories.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

express clearly and support with argument your own views in aesthetics.
present and debate philosophical ideas in writing, in an open-minded and rigorous fashion.
interpret and evaluate critically complex views and arguments in aesthetics.
bring those views to bear on your own experiences of art and of nature.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

appreciate and evaluate sympathetically different points of views, including points of view remote from one’s own.
work effectively to deadlines and under time pressures.
debate in a dispassionate and informed fashion about controversial issues.
articulate clearly and concisely a position, the problems facing it, and possible solutions to those problems.
read and interpret difficult texts.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

the relevance of those theories to our current understanding and appreciation of art and nature.
a range of theories in aesthetics and philosophy of art and the arguments in support of those theories.
the problems facing and possible developments of those theories.

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include

Lectures
In-class discussion
One-on-one consultation with module co-ordinator

Learning activities include

Attending lectures
Contributing to class discussion
Doing independent research for and writing assessed essays and exams

Study time
Type	Hours
Teaching	33
Independent Study	117
Total study time	150

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

Philosophy of the Arts: An Introduction to Aesthetics, by Gordon Graham (Routledge, 2005).

Textbooks

A Neill and A Ridley (1995). The Philosophy of Art: Readings Ancient and Modern. New York: McGraw-Hill.

B Gaut and D Lopes. The Routledge Companion to Aesthetics. London: Routledge.

Assessment

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Essay proposal

Assessment Type: Formative
Feedback: Students will receive written feedback. Students have the opportunity to receive further feedback from the module co-ordinator on any aspect of their performance during office hours or by appointment.
Final Assessment: No
Group Work: No
Percentage contribution: 100%

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Timed Assignment	50%
Essay	50%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Timed Assignment	100%

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Essay	50%
Timed Assignment	50%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External