Discovering the Philosophy of Art

Program Overview

The course will provide an overview of some of the key themes within the Philosophy of Art within the Western Tradition. It will cover subject areas such as aesthetics and the definition of art, as well as specific thinkers such as Plato, Kant and Heidegger. Although each session will cover a stand-alone topic, the course as a whole will be structured broadly chronologically.

Program Outline

The course ‘Discovering the Philosophy of Art’ will provide an introduction to some aspects of the Philosophy of Art within the Western Tradition. It is broadly structured in two parts, the first looking at the thoughts and theories on art provided within the philosophies of 5 key thinkers within this tradition: Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Nietzsche and Heidegger; the second on some central issues within contemporary philosophy debates within the philosophy of art, such as the definition of art and artworks, the different art forms, meaning in art, fakes and forgeries, and art criticism and appreciation.

The course is suitable for those with no previous background in philosophy and/or art history, as it emphasises philosophy as an activity as well as a body of knowledge, but examples from with the history of western art will be used throughout, so it should also be of interest for those with some pre-existing subject background.

Suggested reading will be provided, but this will not be required for the course.

What is included: All teaching
What isn’t included: meals/refreshments. Please also bring writing material.