Introductory description

PH9F7 Topics in Philosophy and the Arts

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Part I: foundational questions. Topics, which will vary from year to year, may include:

Defining art
Art in human evolution
Art & knowledge
Art, morality & ethics
Art, style and personality
Cultural appropriation
Expression in art
agency and artistic creation

Part II: case studies. Topics, which will vary from year to year, may include:

Shame and photography
Short stories and rationality
Art and stupidity
Immoralism in art
Artforms and racial stereotypes
Food as art
Aesthetics and non-western art
Art and artificial intelligence

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• understand and reflect on general methodological and substantive issues raised by approaching art philosophically.
• show an advanced conceptual grasp of issues surrounding the nature of art, as well as theoretical problems relevant to specific art forms.
• demonstrate advanced expertise in interpreting and analysing complex texts and critiquing their ideas and arguments.
• develop and defend their own views on relevant issues, drawing on autonomously initiated and conducted research.

Indicative reading list

I. Foundational Questions

1. Art and Human Nature:
   Ellen Dissanayake, 'Art as a Human Behavior: Toward an Ethological View of Art'
   Stephen Davies, The Artful Species
   Dennis Dutton, The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure and Human Evolution
   Paul O. Kristeller, 'The Modern System of the Arts'

2. Foundational Questions in the Philosophy of Art
   Kendall Walton, 'Aesthetics: What, Why, and Wherefore?
   Kendall Walton, 'How Marvellous: Towards a Theory of Aesthetic Value'
   Kendall Walton, 'Categories of Art'
   Kendall Walton, Marvellous Images.

3. Art and the Artworld
   Arthur C Danto, The Transfiguration of the Commonplace
   Arthur C Danto, The Philosophical Disenfranchisement of Art
   Arthur C Danto 'The Artworld Revisited: Comedies of Similarity'
   George Dickie, 'History of the Institutional Theory of Art'
   George Dickie, 'What is Art? An Institutional Analysis'

4. Art and Knowledge:
   John Gibson, 'Cognitivism and the Arts'
   Eileen John, 'Literature and Philosophical Progress'
   Eileen John 'Reading Fiction and Conceptual Knowledge: Philosophical Thoughts in Literary Context'
   Martha Nussbaum, 'Finely Aware and Richly Responsible'
   Jerome Stolnitz, 'On the Cognitive Triviality of Art'

5. Art, Morality and Immorality:
   Berys Gaut, 'The Ethical Criticism of Art'
   Noel Carroll 'Moderate Moralism'
   Anne Eaton, 'Robust Immoralism'
   A. Clavel-Vasquez, 'Sugar and spice, and everything nice: what rough heroines tell us about imaginative resistance'
   Erich Hattala Matthes, 'Immoral Artists'

6. Style, Personality and Character in Art
   Jennifer Robinson, 'Style and Personality in the Literary Work'
   Jennifer Robinson, Deeper than Reason
   Nick Riggle, 'Personal Style and Aristic Style'
   Nick Riggle, 'Personal Ideals as Metaphors'
   Jerrold Levinson, 'Artistic Worth and Personal Taste'
   Ted Cohen, 'On Consistency in one's personal aesthetics'

II. Case Studies—this list will vary substantially from year to year. The topics below are only intended to be indicative.

1. Shame and photography
   Diarmuid Costello, 'Without Shame? Lee Friedlander's Late Self-Portraits'
   Krista K. Thomason, 'Shame, Violence and Morality'
   David Velleman, The Genesis of Shame'
   Jean-Paul Sartre, Being and Nothingness
   Martha Nussbaum, Hiding from Humanity: Disgust, Shame and the Law'
   Krista K Thomason, Naked: The Dark Side of Shame and Moral Life
   Dan Zahavi, Self and Others: Exploring Subjectivity, Empathy and Shame

2. Food as Art
   Yuriko Saito, 'Neglect of Everyday Aesthetics'
   Yuriko Saito, Everyday Aesthetics
   Carolyn Korsmeyer 'The Meaning of Taste and the Taste of Meaning'
   Carolyn Korsmeyer 'Making Sense of Taste: Food and Philosophy
   Eileen John, 'Meals, Art and Artistic Value'
   Dean Curtin and Lisa Heldke (eds) Cooking Eating Thinking: Transformative Philosophies of Food
   Elizabeth Telfer, Food for Thought: Philosophy and Food
   Sam Liao and Aaron Meskin, 'The Morality and Aesthetics of Food'

3. Art and stupidity
   Robert Musil, 'On Stupidity'
   Robert Musil 'Ruminations of a Slow-Witted Mind'
   Kevin Mulligan, 'Foolishness, Stupidity and Cognitive Values'
   Kevin Mulligan, 'Anatomies of Foolishness'
   Cassim Quassam, Vices of the Mind: from the Intellectual to the Political
   Diarmuid Costello, 'S T U P I D A R T'

4. Artforms and racial stereotypes
   Paul Taylor, 'Make it funky, or music's cognitive travels and the despotism of rhythm'
   Paul Taylor, Black is Beautiful
   Adrian Piper, 'Notes on Funk I-IV'
   Adrian Piper, 'Funk Lessons (1982-4)
   Adrian Piper, Funk Lessons Meta-Performance
   Adrian Piper: A Reader

5. Western and Non-Western Concepts of Art:
   Kathleen Higgins, 'Comparative Aesthetics'
   Dennis Dutton, 'But they don't have our concept of art'
   Larry Shiner, 'Western and Non-Western Concepts of Art'
   Stephen Davies, 'Non-Western Art and Art's Definition'
   Ajume Wingo, 'African Art and the Aesthetics of Hiding and Revealing'
   Rowland Abiodun, 'African Aesthetics'
   Rowland Abiodun, Yoruba Art and Language
   Nkiru Nzegwu, 'Art and Community: A Social Conception of Beauty and Individuality'
   Susan Mullin Vogel, 'Baule: African Art Western Eyes'

6. Art and artificial intelligence (TBC)
   Elisabeth Anscomb, 'Creating Images with Generative AI: An Imaginative Aid?'
   Elisabeth Anscomb, 'Who Authors AI Art? (And why does it matter?)'
   Margaret Boden, AI: Its Nature and Future.
   Margaret Boden and Ernest Edmonds, From Fingers to Digits: An Artificial Aesthetic,
   Ernest Edmonds, 'Algorithmic Art Machines'
   Fossa, Moruzzi and Verdicchio (eds.). Creativity in the Light of AI
   Caterina Moruzzi 'Creative Agents: Rethinking Agency and Creativity in Human and Artificial Systems’,
   Moruzzi, ‘Can a Computer Create a Musical Work? Creativity and Autonomy of AI Software for Music Composition’
   Eleanor Sandry, 'Creative Collaborations with Machines.'
   Steffen Steinert, 'Art Brought to You by Creative Machines'

Research element

A summative research essay is a requirement.

Interdisciplinary

The module incorporates multiple disciplines in studying art, art theories and criticism, and histories of art practices.

International

Non-UK and non-European artworks and aesthetic theories are studied on the module.

Subject specific skills

Students will:
develop understanding of recent work in philosophy of art and theorising about specific art practices
develop their capacity for critical response, analysis and argument in philosophy of art
develop an advanced capacity for interpretation of difficult materials, including work reflecting theoretically on artworks and creative practices
develop understanding of the challenges of philosophising about art and what it means to do substantive aesthetics

Transferable skills

Students will:
hone their ability to express themselves clearly and concisely both orally and in writing
develop their skills of criticism, interpretation, synthesis of complex materials, analysis of ideas and issues, and argument
learn to bring the results of one discipline or practice to bear on those of another, assessing similarities and relevance
develop their capacities for writing, formulating a research project and carrying out independent research