PHIL 109
(GH)
Introduction to Aesthetics (3) Examines the nature of art and aesthetic experience, art's relation to beauty and truth, and the nature of creativity.
PHIL 109 Introduction to Aesthetics (3)
(GH)
(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements.
This course, as with other 100-level philosophy department courses, is intended for Liberal Arts majors and others likely to take philosophy courses rather than for Philosophy majors. (The analogous course for majors is PHIL 409: Aesthetics). Phil 109 is designed to introduce students to the various problems surrounding the philosophical treatment of the various arts. Aesthetics, or the philosophy of art, is a systematic exploration of aesthetic experience, creativity, various theories of beauty, and principles on which criticism of the arts (including literature) can be based. This is a special field of philosophy which focuses on the arts and the creative process, but which, for some thinkers, involves many links to other aspects of human existence, including the political and various metaphysical questions about being and human being. The objective will be to give students a good grounding in these various problems and to expose them to important perspectives and approaches to these problems and to the question of the place of art (as the arts generally) in human existence. Emphasis will be placed on both historical and perspectival sweep in the course and, as a result, the students should leave the course with an enriched understanding of the nature of the arts, of the creative process itself, and of the place both play in being human. Students will be graded on participation, comparison/contrast papers, a position paper, a collaborative presentation, and a comprehensive final exam. PHIL 109 satisfies the GH requirement and it may be used to fulfill the major and/or minor requirements in Philosophy. This course is offered once a year with an enrollment of 35-50 students.
Note : Class size, frequency of offering, and evaluation methods will vary by location and instructor. For these details check the specific course syllabus.