Students

PHL 250 – Philosophy of Art and Literature

2017 – S2 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Michael Olson
W6A, Room 723
by appointment
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(12cp at 100 level or above) or admission to GDipArts
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
What is the relationship between philosophy, art, and literature? What can paintings, music, novels, and poems tell us about perception, emotion, language, and meaning? Can art and literature do philosophy?
The unit examines some of the classic problems in the philosophy of art (aesthetics), as well as contemporary theories of art, culture, cognition, and emotion. We investigate the nature of art and explore how our experience of art and literature offer a way of understanding the self and broadening our cognitive engagement with the world. We begin with the core problems of beauty and pleasure, examining whether aesthetic judgments about art are merely subjective or in some sense objective. We consider the nature of aesthetic experience, exploring how art engages our perception, emotion, imagination, and cognition. We explore how literary texts can stage complex philosophical thought experiments or explore ethical problems or moral questions in depth and detail.
Finally, we consider the idea that art and literature can explore philosophical issues in their own right and exercise our moral imagination in complex ways. These philosophical theories will be examined in conjunction with a discussion of contemporary works in a variety of media from painting and music to novels and poetry.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Acquire the conceptual and cultural tools to appreciate and discuss a range of art objects.
  • Find, analyse and evaluate primary and secondary sources and present a well-argued philosophical discussion in an essay format.
  • Interpret and examine developments in contemporary aesthetics.
  • Analyse and explore the relationship between theory and practice in contemporary art and culture.
  • Apply philosophical aesthetic theories to specific art examples.
  • Actively participate in group discussion in tutorials (including online discussion).

General Assessment Information

Assessments deadlines are hard deadlines.  Late work will not be accepted. If you have concerns about your ability to complete the work on time, contact me no less than 24 hours before the deadline. 

All work should be submitted via ilearn.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Participation 15% No Ongoing
Art Reflections 25% No Ongoing
Online Quizzes 25% No Ongoing
Essay 35% No Week 13

Participation

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 15%

 

Both lecture and tutorials are important sites of individual and group learning. In-person students are expected to come to tutorial each week having listened to the lectures, read the assigned reading, and ready to raise questions and discuss the relevant ideas were their classmates. External students are expected to spend approximately one hour per week posting to the online forum.

Participation will be assessed based on both the quality and quantity of students' contributions online or in tutorials. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Acquire the conceptual and cultural tools to appreciate and discuss a range of art objects.
  • Find, analyse and evaluate primary and secondary sources and present a well-argued philosophical discussion in an essay format.
  • Interpret and examine developments in contemporary aesthetics.
  • Apply philosophical aesthetic theories to specific art examples.
  • Actively participate in group discussion in tutorials (including online discussion).

Art Reflections

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 25%

In weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10, each student will post an image of a work of art to an online discussion forum on ilearn. Along with this image, she will post a 200-300 word reflection on what she finds interesting about the work she has chosen.

Students will receive a mark for and feedback on their reflections in Weeks 2, 4, and 6 as a group after the midterm break.  This group of reflections will determine 15% of the overall mark for the unit.  The reflections in Weeks 8 and 10 will determine the remaining 10%.

This assessment will be evaluated based on the criteria explained on the rubric on iLearn.  


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Acquire the conceptual and cultural tools to appreciate and discuss a range of art objects.
  • Find, analyse and evaluate primary and secondary sources and present a well-argued philosophical discussion in an essay format.
  • Interpret and examine developments in contemporary aesthetics.
  • Analyse and explore the relationship between theory and practice in contemporary art and culture.
  • Apply philosophical aesthetic theories to specific art examples.

Online Quizzes

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 25%

In Weeks 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, students will complete short online quizzes on the unit readings. 

These assessments will be evaluated on the accuracy of quiz responses.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Acquire the conceptual and cultural tools to appreciate and discuss a range of art objects.
  • Find, analyse and evaluate primary and secondary sources and present a well-argued philosophical discussion in an essay format.

Essay

Due: Week 13
Weighting: 35%

In the final essay, students will use the critical methods and aesthetic insights discussed over the course of the term to analyse a work of art of her own choosing.  This essay, which should be approximately 2000 words, will be workshopped in peer review exercises in Weeks 12 and 13.  A complete draft will be due at the start of Week 13; the final draft is due at the end of Week 13.

This assessment will be evaluated based on the criteria explained on the rubric on iLearn.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Acquire the conceptual and cultural tools to appreciate and discuss a range of art objects.
  • Find, analyse and evaluate primary and secondary sources and present a well-argued philosophical discussion in an essay format.
  • Interpret and examine developments in contemporary aesthetics.
  • Analyse and explore the relationship between theory and practice in contemporary art and culture.
  • Apply philosophical aesthetic theories to specific art examples.

Delivery and Resources

CLASSES

For lecture times and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetable website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au. This website will display up-to-date information on your classes and classroom locations.

Lectures are scheduled on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00-10:00.  Recordings will be available on iLearn for external students.

Tutorials are scheduled for either 10:00-11:00 or 11:00-12:00 on Wednesdays.

 

REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND/OR MATERIALS

Weekly readings will be available via iLearn.

Electronic Resources

There are some excellent online resources that will be useful for browsing through images of works of art you are not already familiar with. These will be particularly useful for your semi-weekly writings about specific works.  Here are a couple excellent websites that provide high quality images of a broad range of art works:

  • Google Art Project, https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/u/0/project/art-project
  • WikiArt, http://www.wikiart.org

Further electronic resources, including articles, websites, and images, will be made available via the PHL250 Aesthetics ilearn website.

 

UNIT WEBPAGE AND TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

Online units can be accessed at: http://learn.mq.edu.au

The unit uses the following technology: iLearn website; ilecture recordings; online discussion boards; weblinks, etc.

Unit Schedule

 

Week 1

Art as Imitation: The Question of Forgeries

Week 2

Art as Imitation: Ancient Perspectives

Week 3

Art as Imitation: Modern Perspectives

Week 4

Art as Imitation: Mechanical Reproducibility

Week 5

Taste: Montesquieu and Hume

Week 6

Taste: Kant

Week 7

Taste: Bourdieu

 

Mid-semester Break

Week 8

Modern Art: Kant after Duchamp

Week 9

Modern Art: Greenberg

Week 10

Modern Art: The Autonomy of Art

Week 11

Modern Art: Relational Aesthetics

Week 12

Peer Reviewing

Week 13

Peer Reviewing

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Acquire the conceptual and cultural tools to appreciate and discuss a range of art objects.
  • Analyse and explore the relationship between theory and practice in contemporary art and culture.
  • Apply philosophical aesthetic theories to specific art examples.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Art Reflections
  • Online Quizzes
  • Essay

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Find, analyse and evaluate primary and secondary sources and present a well-argued philosophical discussion in an essay format.
  • Actively participate in group discussion in tutorials (including online discussion).

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Art Reflections
  • Online Quizzes
  • Essay

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Actively participate in group discussion in tutorials (including online discussion).

Assessment task

  • Participation

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Acquire the conceptual and cultural tools to appreciate and discuss a range of art objects.
  • Find, analyse and evaluate primary and secondary sources and present a well-argued philosophical discussion in an essay format.
  • Interpret and examine developments in contemporary aesthetics.
  • Analyse and explore the relationship between theory and practice in contemporary art and culture.
  • Apply philosophical aesthetic theories to specific art examples.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Art Reflections
  • Online Quizzes
  • Essay

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Acquire the conceptual and cultural tools to appreciate and discuss a range of art objects.
  • Find, analyse and evaluate primary and secondary sources and present a well-argued philosophical discussion in an essay format.
  • Interpret and examine developments in contemporary aesthetics.
  • Analyse and explore the relationship between theory and practice in contemporary art and culture.
  • Apply philosophical aesthetic theories to specific art examples.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Art Reflections
  • Online Quizzes
  • Essay

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Find, analyse and evaluate primary and secondary sources and present a well-argued philosophical discussion in an essay format.
  • Interpret and examine developments in contemporary aesthetics.
  • Apply philosophical aesthetic theories to specific art examples.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Art Reflections
  • Online Quizzes
  • Essay

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Find, analyse and evaluate primary and secondary sources and present a well-argued philosophical discussion in an essay format.
  • Analyse and explore the relationship between theory and practice in contemporary art and culture.
  • Apply philosophical aesthetic theories to specific art examples.
  • Actively participate in group discussion in tutorials (including online discussion).

Assessment tasks

  • Participation
  • Art Reflections
  • Online Quizzes
  • Essay

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Actively participate in group discussion in tutorials (including online discussion).

Assessment task

  • Participation

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Actively participate in group discussion in tutorials (including online discussion).

Assessment task

  • Participation