Course detail
Introduction to Philosophy of Art 1
FaVU-1UFIL-ZAcad. year: 2023/2024
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the major themes of Anglo-American analytic philosophy of art since the establishment of the discipline in the 1950s to the present moment. The lectures will focuse on the interpretation of scholarly texts, the choice of which has been motivated not only by their historical significance but also, and above all, by their relevance in the present. In the course we will ask how philosophers can contribute to the solution of the problems faced by contemporary art, or by artists themselves. The lectures will focus on the specificity of art as opposed to ordinary things; the reception of art; issues related to the historical transformation of art and the idea that art has come to an end; and, last but not least, the ethical dimension of art.
Language of instruction
Number of ECTS credits
Mode of study
Guarantor
Entry knowledge
Rules for evaluation and completion of the course
Attendance at lectures is not compulsory.
Aims
Graduates of the course should be able to grasp the basic concepts of philosophy of art, apply them adequately and understand them in a broader context.
Study aids
Prerequisites and corequisites
Basic literature
Recommended reading
BELTING, Belting. Konec dějin umění. Praha: Mladá fronta, 2000. (CS)
BULLOUGH, Edward. “Psychická distance“ jako faktor v umění a estetický princip. Estetika, 1995, 32, s. 12-31. (CS)
DANTO, Arthur C. Konec umění. Estetika, 35, 1998, č. 1, s. 1–18. (CS)
DANTO, Arthur C. Po konci umění. Praha: Academia, 2021? (CS)
DANTO, Arthur C. Svět umění. in: KULKA, Tomáš –CIPORANOV, Denis (eds.). Co je umění? Červený Kostelec: Pavel Mervart 2010, s. 95-111. (CS)
DAVIES, Stephen. Definitions of Art. Ithaka, London: Cornell University Press, 1991. (EN)
DICKIE, George. History of the Institutional Theory of Art. In: týž. Art and Value. Malden, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2001, s. 52–73. (EN)
DICKIE, George. Co je umění? Institucionální analýza. in: KULKA, Tomáš –CIPORANOV, Denis (eds.). Co je umění? Červený Kostelec: Pavel Mervart 2010, s. 113–132. (CS)
DICKIE, George. The Art Circle. Evanston: Chicago Spectrum Press, 1997. (EN)
DICKIE, George. The Myth of Aesthetic Attitude. in: MARGOLIS, Joseph (ed.) Philosophy Looks the Art. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1987, s. 100-116. (EN)
GOLDIE, Peter, SCHELLEKENS, Elisabeth. Who is Afraid of Conceptual Art? London, New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2010. (EN)
GOODMAN, Nelson. Jazyky umění. Nástin teorie symbolů. Praha: Academia 2007. (CS)
GOODMAN, Nelson. Kdy je umění? in: KULKA, Tomáš –CIPORANOV, Denis (eds.). Co je umění? Červený Kostelec: Pavel Mervart 2010, s. 255-267. (CS)
KENNICK, William. Does Traditional Aesthetics Rest Upon a Mistake. In. LIPMAN, Mattew: Contemporary Aesthetics. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1973, s. 219–234. (EN)
KRISTELLER, Paul Oskar. The Modern System of the Arts: A Study in the History of Aesthetics Part I. Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Oct., 1951), s. 496-527. (EN)
KRISTELLER, Paul Oskar. The Modern System of the Arts: A Study in the History of Aesthetics Part II. Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 13, No. 1 (Jan., 1952), s. 17-46. (EN)
KULKA, Tomáš –CIPORANOV, Denis (eds.). Co je umění? Červený Kostelec: Pavel Mervart 2010. (CS)
SCHELLEKENS, Elisabeth. Aesthetics and Morality. London: Continuum, 2007. (EN)
WEITZ, Morris. Role teorie v estetice. in Tomáš KULKA – Denis CIPORANOV (eds.). Co je umění? Červený Kostelec: Pavel Mervart 2010, s. 51–64. (CS)
ZUSKA, Vlastimil. Estetická distance – Dialog sebereflexe. Estetika, 1995, 32, s. 1-9. (CS)
Classification of course in study plans
- Programme VUB Bachelor's
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
branch VU-VT , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
branch VU-IDT , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
Type of course unit
Lecture
Teacher / Lecturer
Syllabus
2) Determining the nature of art as one of the main topics of the analytic philosophy of art. Can art be defined? And does defining art make sense at all? Historical implications of the topic (Kristeller), general publications and studies (Andina, Davies, Carroll)
3) Anti-essentialism in aesthetics (Weitz, Kennick)
4) The turn to defining art. The concept of the "art world" (Danto)
5) Institutional theory of art - from the first formulation to revision and critique (Dickie)
6) Arthur C. Danto: the meaning of the artwork and interpretation (Danto)
7) The end of art - how to understand art historically? Can art history end? (Danto, Belting)
8) Posthistorical art vs. modernism and postmodernism; pluralism of the art world (Danto)
9) How does art affect the perceiver? Aesthetic appreciation of art as a particular kind of experience of the work. A critique of the aesthetic appreciation of art within analytic philosophy (Dickie)
10) Art and Ethics. Moral responsibility of the artist. What moral questions does contemporary art pose and how can philosophy contribute to their solution? Mmoderate moralism (Carroll)
11) Moral criticism of art - Berys Gaut
12) Summary of topics covered, discussion