B4947 - Aesthetics (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students become familiar with some of the main notions of philosophical aesthetics also in order to use them as tools to account for contemporary phenomena in which the aesthetic plays a crucial role on the cultural and experiential levels. Students will acquire a good degree of autonomy in analyzing aesthetic-philosophical texts concerning discussions carried out over the last few decades. In particular, the course will stress topics and problems that have emerged more recently in the international discourse and that pertain to the nexus between the experiential dimension, the elaboration of expressive languages, and the formal and design-related articulations taking place within the field of the aesthetic. The aim of the course is to reflect on the (dis-)continuity and the (a-)symmetry between the conceptual-theoretical and the operative-experiential levels, and thus contribute to the development of a critical and non-dogmatic attitude toward the contemporary horizon that characterizes the aesthetic.

Course contents

Title of the course: Aesthetic Function. The Case of Design

The course will address a category which has traditionally been either problematic for, or foreign to, aesthetics: function. The aim of the course is to show that, when understood as something operative and transformative and not merely contemplative and conservative, the aesthetic possesses an inherent functional character. Aesthetic function will be dealt with through different philosophical perspectives, ranging from pragmatism to critical theory, to the more recent everyday aesthetics. The case study that will be used is design.

As part of the course there will be a workshop activity, organized in collaboration with the almæsthetics [https://centri.unibo.it/almaesthetics/it] research center. It will be based on specific analyses of some of the texts included in the syllabus, which will be carried out with the active participation of attending students. The modalities for conducting this activity will be illustrated at the beginning of the course.

Readings/Bibliography

- J. Dewey, “Substance and Form”, in Art as Experience, in J.A. Boydston (ed.), The Later Works of John Dewey, vol. 10, Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, 1981, pp. 111-38.

- T.W. Adorno, “Functionalism Today”, in N. Leach (ed.), Rethinking Architecture, Routledge, London-New York, 1997, pp. 5-18.

- J. Forsey, “The Useful-Beautiful Couplet”: On the Aesthetic Appraisal of Designed Objects”, in F. Zanella et al. (eds.), Multidisciplinary Aspects of Design, Objects, Processes, Experiences and Narratives, Springer, Cham, 2024, pp. 11-20 [available here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-49811-4]

- G. Parsons, “The concept of function” and “Function, form and aesthetics” in Philosophy of Design, Polity Press, Cambridge, 2015, pp. 85-102 e 103-28.

- K. Puolakka, “On Habits and Functions”, Contemporary Aesthetics Vol. 16, 2018.

- Y. Saito, “Care Relationships with Objects”, in G.L. Iannilli (ed.), Co-operative Aesthetics. A Quasi-Manifesto for the 21^st Century, Aesthetica, Milan, 2022, pp. 131-42.

Non-attending students must also read:

- M. Gal, J. Ventura, “The Definitions of Design” and “Form and Function” in Introduction to Design Theory, Routledge, London 2023, pp. 6-57 and pp. 59-94.

- G.L. Iannilli & O. Naukkarinen, “Problem-solving”, in G.L. Iannilli (ed.), Co-operative Aesthetics. A Quasi-Manifesto for the 21^st Century, Aesthetica, Milan, 2022, pp. 11-25.

or

- G.L. Iannilli, “John Dewey: Form as Function” and “Theodor W. Adorno: Function as Form” in The Aesthetics of Experience Design. A Philosophical Essay, Mimesis International, Milan, 2020, pp.73-108 and pp. 109-132.

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures, workshops, presentations by students

Assessment methods

The exam may be taken in one of the following ways:

1) Written paper (the topic must be agreed upon in advance with the teacher):

-10-page paper (approximately 30.000 characters, footnotes and bibliography included) on a transversal theme addressed in the texts indicated in the bibliography addressing at least one case study (last 10 years)

n.b.: 

- The paper must be sent in pdf format to the teacher at least 10 days before the exam (registration is required on Almaesami).

2) Oral examination:

The assessment will concentrate particularly on the skill displayed by the student in handling the material in the exam bibliography and his/her ability to find and use information and examples to illustrate and correlate the various themes and problems addressed in the course.

The assessment will thus examine the student's:

- factual knowledge of the subject;
- ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;
- familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his ability to use it effectively.

Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology.

Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he/she displays significant errors in his/her understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology

 

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders are entitled to special adjustments according to their condition, subject to assessment by the University Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact teachers or Department staff, but make an appointment with the Service. The Service will then determine what adjustments are specifically appropriate, and get in touch with the teacher. For more information, please visit the page:
https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students

Teaching tools

Powerpoints

Office hours

See the website of Gioia Laura Iannilli