Philosophy of Art

B. Philosophy of Art, Sanford Goldberg, Professor, Philosophy Tuesdays, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

This course will focus on the philosophical questions raised by art. What is art? Is there anything distinctive of the experiences we have when observing an artwork? Is beauty an objective feature in the world, or is it all in the eye of the beholder? What does it mean to say that a work of art “has a meaning,” and how can we tell what a work of art “means”? When it comes to producing or appreciating a work of art, what is the significance of such things as genre and artistic tradition? What is the role of creativity, technology, and science in the production and appreciation of art? How has the artworld changed over time, and how does this affect both the creation and the appreciation of art today? Are there moral constraints on what should be produced as a work of art? Should art speak to the politics of our day? The ambition will be to raise these questions in an effort to enhance our appreciation of all that goes under the name “work of art”. We will also spend time focusing on particular arts: theater, film, literature, music, and painting.