PHILOSOPHY OF ART

Fall 2020 Syllabus

Section 001
CRN: 14710
MW 3:00 — 4:15 PM
Edith Kanakaʻole Hall 126


Dr. Timothy J. Freeman
The University of Hawaii at Hilo
Edith Kanaka‘ole Hall 212
office: 932-7479; cell: 345-5231

freeman@hawaii.edu

Office Hours: MWF 1:00-2:00 PM
and by appointment

PHIL 330 Philosophy of Art *WI*
The aesthetic object, form in art, representation, meaning in art, and claims of knowledge in art. Pre: previous work in philosophy and in art or music. (Attributes: DH)

Art and Its Significance: An Anthology of Aesthetic Theory, 3rd edition, ed. Stephen David Ross. State University of New York Press, 1994.

The purpose of the course is to introduce the student to a number of philosophical questions regarding art. Perhaps the most important of these, or at least one that has long been of central concern to the philosophy of art, is the Socratic question with regard to art, i.e., “what is art?” This question seeks some defining essence, some definition of art that would enable one to recognize art when one encounters it and to distinguish art from what is not art. Another central question concerns whether or not, and upon what basis, evaluative judgments regarding art are possible. Are evaluative judgments regarding art merely matters of taste, purely personal opinion, or is there some basis upon which to make an evaluative judgment of art that is not merely a matter of personal taste? In other words, is criticism of art possible? Philosophers of art are also concerned with the question of the purpose and value of art. What is art for? Do we learn something important in encountering art or does the purpose of art lie in giving pleasure in the contemplation of beautiful objects? Is the purpose of art to express feelings, to make statements, to transform society, or is art for art’s sake alone? What, then, is the value of art? Is art something merely extraneous to a healthy life or society, or is art vitally important, perhaps even necessary, or is art perhaps dangerous and thus subject to control and censorship?

[Philosophy courses for GE purposes]: (As with all Philosophy courses) Students who successfully complete the course will be able to:
●respond clearly, logically and critically to examination questions and discussion questions about some important philosophical issues relevant to the course;
●read, comprehend, and discuss philosophical texts relevant to the course;
●compose effective written materials that assimilate, synthesize and reflect on course information;
●identify and describe in writing and in class discussion some important aspects of the cultural heritage and contributions of Western philosophy.

Due to the viral pandemic, this course will take place online, unless conditions improve to allow in person classes. There will be synchronous Zoom sessions which will include lectures, powerpoint presentations, film clips, and discussions. Students are encouraged to tune in to the live sessions, but the sessions will be recorded and uploaded to a Google Drive to watch at any time.

Students are encouraged to tune in to the synchronous sessions and encouraged to turn video cameras on so that you can see each other for better class time discussions.

This is a writing intensive course. The final grade will be based on the following:
1) One must do 4 of 6 short writing assignments (2-3 pages each). If you do more than 4, I will drop the lowest grade. (10% each for a total of 40% of the final grade)
2) A final essay paper due at the time scheduled for a final exam. The essay must include a development of at least one of the short essay assignments. (60% of the final grade)

Grading will be determined according to the following scale:
A 95-100 Excellent
A - 90-94
B + 87-89
B 84-86 Good
B - 80-83
C + 77-79
C 74-76 Satisfactory
C - 70-73 Poor
D 60-70 Failure
F below 60

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Course Evaluation

**Schedule is subject to revision**