00345 - Aesthetics (F-N)

Learning outcomes

The purpose of this course is to give students the basic knowledge concerning the birth and the development of Aesthetics, with specific attention to the origin of fundamental concepts such as genius, taste, intuition, imitation and so on. Secondly, the present state of Aesthetics will be analysed.

Course contents

Aesthetics as a philosophy of art: a critical overview

The course aims to present the reasons that have characterized Aesthetics as modern knowledge, particularly by showing aspects and limitations of its status as a “philosophy of art”.

The course will be divided into two modules.

 

Module 1: Aesthetics and the philosophical questioning of art

In the first part, the main themes and authors of modern Aesthetics will be presented, examining the reasons why philosophical thought has led to the birth of a specific discipline related to beauty and art. In addition to a thematic analysis of the origins of Aesthetics in the eighteenth century (which will follow Ernst Cassirer’s reconstruction), a path through the major authors of aesthetic thought up to the early twentieth century will be developed. This “institutional” part will be integrated with the study of the first three chapters of a text (by Arthur C. Danto) that focuses on the original meaning of Aesthetics in the light of the artistic revolutions of the twentieth century.

 

Module 2: Problems and limits of Aesthetics in the light of twentieth-century art

The second part will address the problems that lie at the threshold of modern aesthetic knowledge, of which critical aspects will then also be shown. This will be done by delving into Danto’s inquiry, but also by considering the reflections Merleau-Ponty carried out when he tried to describe the passage from a classically modern conception of knowledge and art to twentieth-century scenarios in which many of the previous assumptions are challenged.

Readings/Bibliography

Module 1

1a. First part:

• E. Cassirer, I problemi istitutivi dell’estetica moderna, Meltemi, Milano, 2024.
• P. D’Angelo, E. Franzini, G. Scaramuzza (eds.), Estetica, Cortina, Milano, 2002, pp. 157-293 (i.e.: the parts concerning Kant, Schelgel, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Baudelaire, Croce, and Benjamin).

1b. Second part:

• A. C. Danto, La trasfigurazione del banale, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2008, pp. 3-108 (i.e. chapters 1-3).
  

Module 2

• M. Merleau-Ponty, Conversazioni, SE, Milano, 2020.
• A. C. Danto, La trasfigurazione del banale, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2008, pp. 109-200 (i.e. chapters 4-6).

 

For the 12 cfu exam, the texts indicated for both modules are mandatory.

For both the 6 cfu and 12 cfu exams, non-attending students will also be required to read:

• S. Velotti, La scelta di Danto, “Rivista di estetica”, 35 (2007), pp. 357-374 (https://journals.openedition.org/estetica/4232 ).

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures, workshops, and classroom presentations by students.

Assessment methods

6 cfu. Students (Module I) will be evaluated on the basis of an oral exam.

 

12 cfu. Students (Module I + Module II) will be evaluated on the basis of a two steps evaluation:

a) a written part which consists of a multiple-choice test (21 questions concerning the readings listed in the bibliography related to point 1a of the first module; correct answer = 1,5 point; wrong answer= 0). Unless special cases are certificated (cf. students with disabilities and SLD), the examination will take 60 minutes. A pass mark (15/30 = 10 correct answers at least) on the multiple-choice test is required in order to access the oral interview.

b) an oral part, aiming to test the achievement of the fundamental learning outcomes, such as: thorough knowledge of the mandatory readings and ability to contextualize them in their historical period; full understanding of the core concepts and interpreting skills; ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and cogently; ability to build connections between authors and topics of the prescription. The oral exam will mainly focus on all the texts indicated as mandatory in the program in addition to those already covered in the written test; yet questions requiring links to the latter may still be asked.

Depending on the performance of the oral interview, the final mark may confirm or lower/grade up by max. 3 points the mark obtained in the written test.

The final grade is therefore an overall assessment: excellent (30L); top mark (30); good (27-29); fairly good (24-26); sufficient (22-23); almost sufficient (18-21).

 

It is not possible to switch from group A-E to group F-N or O-Z, nor vice versa. The only exception is for international students/students.

 

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) 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

Power point slides concerning course's texts and topics will be used.

Office hours

See the website of Giovanni Matteucci