We are delighted to introduce this 12 week course to our creative session offerings. A survey of philosophy of art through the history of the discipline, from Plato to the twenty first century. The course will consider questions such as: ‘what is art?’; ‘what is beauty?’; how does art contribute to the human condition?
Syllabus
- Plato and the beginnings of philosophers’ discussion of art;
- Aristotle and Greek tragedy;
- Francis Hutcheson and Scottish neo-classicism in the eighteenth century;
- David Hume on the standard of taste;
- Kant and German Enlightenment aesthetic thought;
- Hegel and the absolute;
- Schopenhauer and the importance of music;
- Nietzsche and the Birth of Tragedy;
- Tolstoy and art as the expression of emotion;
- Sartre and the Psychology of the Imagination;
- Barthes and the postmodern turn;
- Umberto Eco’s Travels in Hyperreality.
Participants will have access to a shared drive which will have readings for those who wish to read in advance of session – but this will not be expected: The tutor will provide an overview each week of the extract, and its significance. Power points will also be available on the shared drive for any participant who misses a week.No philosophical background is required / assumed, and there will be examples from art, music, literature, cinema and architecture for each week’s discussion.
Tutor – Dr John Gordon, a recently retired Lecturer in Humanities at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Open Learning, where he taught philosophy and the humanities since 1989. John received his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh in 1998. He has a particular interest in interdisciplinary study, and the connections between philosophy, literature, art and music. As an experienced teacher, John has helped a wide range of students engage with challenging academic material in an accessible and appealing way. John has written and taught a range of courses for the University, ranging from ancient literature and history to contemporary philosophy.
