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Apr 16, 2026
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PHL 3208 - Philosophy of Art3 lecture hours 0 lab hours 3 credits
Course Description
This course introduces students to some of the central philosophical themes, topics, and questions concerning the nature of art, aesthetic experience, and aesthetic value. What makes some artifact, or some arrangement of words or sounds, or some movement of bodies a work of art? How can something–like the urinal in Duchamp’s Fountain–constitute art in one context but not in another? What is the nature of aesthetic value, and how does it differ from, say, moral value? What are the standards of aesthetic appraisal and criticism? What is the nature and value of originality and authenticity in art? Can art be morally good or bad, or just artists? Should we reject art produced by morally bad artists? Should actors refrain from portraying characters of different races or ethnicities? Why does wordless music evoke emotional responses? Why do we enjoy the experience of pity or sadness while watching tragedy or fear while reading horror? Students will consider these questions and others through the close and critical reading of challenging philosophical texts, reconstruction and evaluation of philosophical arguments, and independent reflection and reasoning on topics and positions within philosophy of art and aesthetics. Finally, students will examine works of art themselves using the philosophical frameworks studied, illustrating and perhaps challenging some of these philosophical perspectives on art, aesthetic experience, and aesthetic value.
Prereq: None
Note: None
This course meets the following Raider Core CLO Requirement: Exhibit Curiosity
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of some of the key themes and questions in philosophy of art and aesthetics
- Exhibit familiarity with key theories and positions in philosophy of art (e.g., the “artworld” conception of art, aesthetic realism)
- Articulate philosophical questions and positions within philosophy of art clearly and precisely, explaining their significance, context, and further implications
- Reconstruct and analyze philosophical arguments within philosophy of art in a way that displays evidence of clear, critical, and precise thinking
- Engage in comparative analysis and evaluation of different philosophical perspectives on key topics in philosophy of art
- Engage in independent philosophical inquiry, dialogue, and argument through both discussion and written work
- Examine and discuss works of art using the philosophical frameworks studied and, in so doing, illustrate or challenge those frameworks
Prerequisites by Topic
Course Topics
- The definition of art
- Art and ontology (e.g., originals and forgeries, allographic vs. autographic artworks)
- The nature of aesthetic experience (e.g., the sublime, pity, disgust)
- The nature of aesthetic value
- The nature of interpretation
- The standard of aesthetic appraisal and criticism
- Art and morality (e.g., “morally bad” artworks and morally bad artists)
- Art and emotion (e.g., the paradoxes of tragedy and horror, emotional expression in and responses to wordless music)
- Art and identity (e.g., ethics of authenticity and appropriation, cross-racial casting of actors)
- Decolonial and feminist perspectives on art and aesthetics
- Special topics in philosophy of fiction and literature
- Special topics in philosophy of visual art
- Special topics in philosophy of film
- Special topics in philosophy of music
- Aesthetics outside art: nature and lived environments
Coordinator
Dr. Andrew McAninch
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