Philosophy and the Art World

Catalog description

This course introduces students to the philosophical study of art, and of our judgment of art, through historical and/or contemporary readings and trips to experience art in New York. There is an old saying that "there is no disputing about taste", but in fact we all have debates about our artistic preferences. Are there facts about good and bad art that reasoned discussion can discover? How are debates about art different from debates about science, logic, or ethics? Why do we care about art in the way that we do? Topics covered may include representation, taste, the authority of criticism, artistic sincerity and authenticity, and the relationship between the criteria for argument and agreement in aesthetics and in domains such as logic and science. Authors covered may include Kant, Hume, Danto, Cavell, Fried, and Scruton