Assignment #7: Paradox of Fiction

1. Read: Walton, "Fearing Fictions" and IEP's "Paradox of Fiction" (http://www.iep.utm.edu/fict-par/)

The Paradox (from Radford, 1975):

1. In order to be fully emotionally moved by any x, one must know or believe that x exists or might exist.

2. The x's of fiction do not exist.

3. One can be fully emotionally moved by the x's of fiction.

(The paradox can be dissolved only by rejecting one of these three assertions.  While Radford concludes that our reaction to fictional entities is simply irrational, the "pretend theory" (Walton) denies 3; the "thought theory" denies 1; and the "illusion theory" denies 2.)

Assignment #6: Conceptual Art: Danto

Reminder; Quiz #1, Monday, 2/24.

1. Read: Danto, "The Artworld" (Ch. 35)

Q:

1. What is the "imitation theory" and what is the significance of his realist alternative (RT)?

2. What explains Testadura's limited understanding of art?

3. What is the "is" of artistic identification?

4. How does Danto use "sea meets sky" in defense of conceptual art?

5. What allows us to distinguish Warhol's Brillo Box from any other box of Brillo pads?

A critique of Danto:

Arthur Danto’s “The End of Art”: Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. – Art & Crit by Eric Wayne (artofericwayne.com)

Assignment #5: Hume

Read: Hume, "On the Standard of Taste."

Questions for class discussion (no written responses required, in this instance or any other):

1. Does Hume identify a (universal) standard of taste (what he often calls sentiment)? Note: his treatment of the issue is somewhat paradoxical.

2. What leads us to say that an object is beautiful, according to Hume?

3. How does the "delicacy of imagination" overcome "defects" in human taste/sentiments?  What is the role of practice/knowledge/repetition?

4. How do we identify the "true" critics?

5. Other concerns/criticisms...

Assignment #4: Carlson; Aesthetics and Nature

Read: Carlson's essay, Ch. 61 (chapter 46 in the older version).

Supplemental/optional: Auer, "Environmental Aesthetics in the Age of Climate Change,"

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/18/5001/htm

Q:

1. Why is it significant (for Carlson) that nature is not our creation?

2. What is Carlson's take on the "object" model?

3. What is Carlson's take on the "landscape" model?

4. What is Carlson's preferred model?

5. How does Carlson solve the problem of not being able to focus our aesthetic attention on everything all at once?

6. Are there moral implications of our choice of model?

7. Can you think of any criticisms of Carlson?

Assignment #3: Tolstoy

1. Read: Tolstoy "What is Art?"

Questions for consideration and discussion:

1. What is the source of Tolstoy's dissatisfaction with some art, including, for example, opera?

2. What is his view of the relationship between beauty and art? (And how might he respond to Nehamas?)

3. What is the significance of his food analogy for understanding art (that is, seeing pleasure as the purpose of food)?

4. How does he define art?

5. What determines the "infectiousness" of art?

6. What role does Tolstoy assign the "religious perception of [his] time"?

7. What are the limitations of his theory of art?

8. Anything else you want to discuss...

Assignment #2: Beauty (A. Nehamas)

Things to do (or have done):

1. Review the syllabus and handout CPE; raise any questions in our next class. 

2. Purchase the Cahn and Meskin text.  (Reminder: I have placed a copy -- albeit an older version -- of our text on reserve at the library.)  

The first chapter we will read from the text -- once we are prepared to do so -- will be chapter 24, "What is Art?" (Tolstoy).  Please acquire copies of the text/chapters asap.

In the interim, let's read and discuss Alexander Nehamas' "An Essay on Beauty and Judgment":

https://www.threepennyreview.com/samples/nehamas_w00.html

Assignment #1: Defining Philosophy, handout CPE, syllabus

Things to do:

1. Research the term "philosophy." Find a definition that strikes you as inclusive, interesting, or instructive and bring it to class in a dedicated (section of a) notebook.

2. Read Handout CPE; review the syllabus. Raise any questions about these documents in our next class.

3. Purchase a copy of the text (or let me know if there is a problem obtaining one).  I have also placed a copy of the text on reserve in the library.