| Unit name | Topics in Aesthetics |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL30113 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Everett |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
PHIL10005: Introduction to Philosophy A, PHIL 10006: Introduction to Philosophy B, PHIL20046: Realism and Normativity |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Philosophy |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit gives students the opportunity to study one or more key topics in contemporary aesthetics in depth at an advanced level. Potential topics include: the philosophy of literature, the nature of aesthetic value, environmental aesthetics, the cognitive and biological underpinnings of aesthetic experience, art and politics, the relation between art and morality.
Students will study one such topic, or a small range of related topicsthrough close readings of the relevant philosophical literature, critically examining the relevant philosophical positions and evaluating the arguments offered for these.
Aims:
The unit aims to give students a deep understanding at an advanced level of one or more key topics in aesthetics.
Examples of possible topics that might be studied include but are not limited to:
(a) The philosophy of literature (encompassing the distinction between fiction and non-fiction, the nature and role of interpretation, how and what we can learn from literature, the nature of metaphor)
(b) Aesthetics and psychology (encompassing the psychological nature of aesthetic judgment, the nature and role of the imagine in aesthetic engagement, the role of emotion in aesthetic experience)
The unit will:
(1) Impart very detailed knowledge and understanding of the topic(s) in aesthetics studied, the relevant philosophical literature, the relevant philosophical positions, and the arguments offered for these.
(2) Promote the student’s critical engagement with, and analysis of, the topic(s) in aesthetics studied, the relevant literature, the relevant philosophical positions, and the arguments offered for these, all at an advanced level.
(3) Allow students to develop skills in constructing and evaluating arguments, close reading, and writing philosophy at an advanced level, building on the skills acquired in units at level I.
On completion of the course students will:
(1) Have very detailed knowledge and understanding of the topic(s) in aesthetics studied, the relevant literature, the associated philosophical positions, and the arguments offered for these.
(2) Be able to critically engage with, and analyze, the topic(s) in aesthetics studied, the relevant philosophical positions, and the arguments offered for these, all at an advanced level.
(3) Have developed skills in constructing and evaluating arguments, close reading, and writing philosophy at an advanced level, building on the skills acquired in units at level I.
24 x 1-hr lectures; 11 x 1-hr tutorials
This unit will have two scheduled lecture hours per week. The first will be more traditionally didactic in form, the second more interactive. Key to these will be a number of ‘colloquia’, where the lecturer introduces issues and disputes from the literature and then invites student engagement and debate about them. This is the key method by which learning outcomes (2) and (3) will be facilitated, and one of the methods by which the ‘depth’ of understanding mentioned in learning outcome (1) will be promoted.
Summative: Three hour unseen examination designed to test intended learning outcomes (1), (2), and (3).
Formative: 1x 2500 word essay (+ 15 mins essay tutorial) designed to facilitated intended learning outcomes (1), (2), and (3).
The exact literature will vary, depending upon the topic, but the following are key texts that will provide an excellent overview of the relevant topic and its place within various broader aesthetic debates:
