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  Academics  —  Courses + Programs  —  Master Course Outlines

PHIL145 Aesthetics

Department of Social & Behavioral Science: Philosophy

I. Course Number and Title
PHIL145 Aesthetics
II. Number of Credits
3 credits
III. Number of Instructional Minutes
2250
IV. Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
V. Other Pertinent Information
None
VI. Catalog Course Description
An examination of the major philosophical issues raised in connection with music, the visual arts, literature and poetry, craft, and contemporary media art. Topics include the concept of beauty, critical evaluation, artistic truth, and meaning in the arts. Traditional, as well as contemporary viewpoints will be addressed.
VII. Required Course Content and Direction
  1. Course Learning Goals

    1. formulate aesthetic issues precisely;
    2. apply critical thinking and problem-solving to aesthetic issues;
    3. analyze and synthesize aesthetic arguments ;
    4. articulate the difference between objectivity and subjective or personal opinion with respect aesthetic criticism and artistic evaluation;
    5. analyze aesthetics and art in terms of cultural contexts; and
    6. explain how aesthetic theories evolve and change over time.
  2. Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities

    1. Introduction
    2. Classical Views: Plato and Aristotle
    3. A review of Aesthetic Ideas from the Greeks to the Enlightenment
    4. Modern Views: Francis Hutchenson, David Hume, Immanuel Kant
    5. Romanticism: Shopenhauer
    6. Existentialism: Nietzsche
    7. Contemporary Aesthetic Theories
      1. Art for Art's Sake
      2. Contemporary Realism
      3. Art as Significant Form
      4. Art as Expression
      5. Physical Distance
      6. The Aesthetic Attitude
  3. Assessment Methods for Course Learning Goals

  4. Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Student:

    Text: See course syllabus.

Review/Approval Date - 2/99; New Core 8/2015; Goals updated 11/2017

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