Students
PHL 250 – Philosophy of Art and Literature
2018 – S2 Day
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Lecturer and Tutor
A/Prof. Robert Sinnerbrink
Contact via 9850 9935
Australian Hearing Hub building, Level 2
By appointment
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| Credit points |
Credit points
3
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(12cp at 100 level or above) or admission to GDipArts
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| 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
Assessing Active Participation
Active participation is assessed by a student’s engagement in activities such as; discussions facilitated by the lecturer/tutor, contributions to online discussion forums, or general questions asked during lectures or tutorials and involvement in set activities. Participation is expected to be well considered and relevant to the unit of study.
All work should be submitted via ilearn.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation | 15% | No | Ongoing |
| Aesthetics Journal | 25% | No | Ongoing |
| Online Quizzes | 20% | No | Ongoing |
| Essay | 40% | 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 with 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).
Aesthetics Journal
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 25%
Students are required to submit an Aesthetics Journal covering weeks 2-12 of the course, with a brief entry for at least six weeks of the course (approximately 1000-1500 words overall). The journal can be a workbook, scrapbook, diary, or other format of your own choosing (e.g. blog, webpage, photographs, artwork, etc). Students are encouraged to be creative and reflective in bringing together their responses to unit readings, lectures, and tutorial discussions and examples from contemporary art, film, television, literary or other works of interest to them.
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: 20%
In Weeks 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 students will complete short online quizzes based on the unit readings (5 quizzes in total). Quizzes start in week 3 and continue until week 12. Each quiz opens after the relevant lecture. Quizzes involve true/false or multiple choice options. All quizzes remain open until Friday 02/11/2018. The quizzes cannot be accessed after that date. Don't leave all the quizzes to the last minute - you should complete the quizzes throughout the semester after the relevant lecture.
Criteria: These assessments will be evaluated on the accuracy of quiz responses to questions based on topics and texts. These quizzes are designed to encourage ongoing study and revision of the unit materials and to foster preparation for other assessment tasks (e.g. the essay).
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Acquire the conceptual and cultural tools to appreciate and discuss a range of art objects.
- Interpret and examine developments in contemporary aesthetics.
Essay
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 40%
In the essay, students will use the critical methods and aesthetic insights discussed over the course of the term to respond to set questions based on the topics covered during the semester and/or may analyse a work of art of their own choosing (in consultation with the Lecturer). Here you show us the critical questioning and philosophical knowledge you've learned over the unit. This essay, which should be approximately 2000 words, will be workshopped in peer review exercises in Week 13. A complete draft will be due at the start of Week 13 to be ready to bring to class; the final draft is due at the end of Week 13.
Length: 2000-2500 words.
Criteria: An excellent essay will demonstrate knowledge of the relevant content; a clear structure and argument; creativity, proper expression, spelling, punctuation and grammar; an easy to read presentation; proper integration and referencing of research and other sources.
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 from 14:00 to 15:00 and Tuesdays from 9:00-10:00. Recordings will be available on iLearn for external students.
Tutorials are scheduled for Tuesdays from 10:00-11:00.
REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND/OR MATERIALS
Weekly readings will be available via iLearn.
Electronic Resources
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is an excellent online resource for expert summary discussions of key topics in aesthetics/philosophy of art: https://plato.stanford.edu/
The Amercian Society for Aesthetics webstie (aesthetics-online) has a very helpful resources page with many online links to pages of interest and value for students of aesthetics: https://aesthetics-online.site-ym.com/page/Websites?
There are some excellent online resources that will be useful for browsing through images of works of art you are not already familiar with, or that may be mentioned in the readings, in lectures, or tutorials. These will be particularly useful for your engagement with specific artworks and also for essay preparation. 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
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Week 1 |
Introduction: What is Aesthetics? What is a philosophy of art? Required Reading: Sebastian Gardner, ‘Aesthetics’, in Nicholas Bunnin, E. P. Tsui-James (eds), The Blackwell Companion to Philosophy, Second Edition (Blackwell Publishers, 2003), 231-256. Recommended: Richard Eldridge, ‘The Situation and Tasks of a Philosophy of Art’, Chapter 1 of his An Introduction to the Philosophy of Art (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003): 1-24. |
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Week 2 |
What is Art? 1 Art as Representation Required Reading: Richard Eldridge, ‘Representation, Imitation, and Resemblance’, Chapter 2 of his An Introduction to the Philosophy of Art (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003): 25-46. Recommended: Richard Eldridge, ‘The Situation and Tasks of a Philosophy of Art’, Chapter 1 of his An Introduction to the Philosophy of Art (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003): 1-24. |
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Week 3 |
What is Art? 2 Art as Expression Required Reading: Noel Carroll, ‘Art and Expression’, Chapter 2 of his Philosophy of Art: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge, 1999) Dale Jacquette, ‘Art, Expression, Perception, and Intentionality’, Journal of Aesthetics and Phenomenology, 1:1 (2014): 63-90. |
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Week 4 |
What is Art? 3 Art as Institution Required Reading: Arthur C. Danto, ‘The Artworld’, The Journal of Philosophy 61.19 (1964): 571-584. George Dickie, ‘What is Art? An Institutional Analysis’, in his Art and the Aesthetic: An Institutional Analysis (Cornell University Press, 1974). |
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Week 5 |
What is Beauty? 1 Subjective or Objective? Required Reading: Crispin Sartwell, ‘Beauty’ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2016): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/beauty/ Rafael de Clercq, ‘Beauty’, in Berys Gaut and Dominic McIver Lopes (eds), The Routledge Companion to Aesthetics, Third Edition (Routledge, 2013). |
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Week 6 |
What is Beauty? 2 Beauty, Desire, Pleasure Required Reading: Alexander Nehamas, ‘“Only in the contemplation of beauty is life worth living” Plato, Symposium 211d, European Journal of Philosophy 15.1 (2007): 1-18. Alexander Nehamas, ‘The Place of Beauty and Role of Value in a World of Art’, Critical Quarterly 42.3 (2000): 1-14. |
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Week 7 |
On Pictorial Representation: Seeing-In and Seeing-As Required Reading: Richard Wollheim, ‘On Pictorial Representation’, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 56.3 (1998): 217-226. Jerrold Levinson, ‘Wollheim on Pictorial Representation’, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 56.3 (1998): 227-233. |
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Mid-semester Break |
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Week 8 |
Art and Imagination: Art as make-believe Required Reading: Gregory Currie and Anna Ichino, ‘Imagination and Make-Believe’, The Routledge Companion to Aesthetics. Third Edition, edited by Berys Gaut and Dominic McIver Lopes (Routledge, 2013). Kendall Walton, ‘Representation and Make-Believe’, from his Mimesis as Make-Believe: On the Foundations of the Representational Arts (Harvard University Press, 1990). |
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Week 9 |
Art, Music, and Emotion: Does music expression emotion or mood? Required Reading: Noel Carroll, ‘Art and Mood: Preliminary Notes and Conjectures’, The Monist, 86 (2003): 521-555. Peter Kivy, ‘Mood and music: Some reflections for Noël Carroll’, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 64 (2006): 271–281 Noel Carroll and Margaret Moore, ‘Not reconciled: Comments for Peter Kivy’, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 65 (2007): 318–322. |
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Week 10 |
Art and Ethics: Aesthetic autonomy versus aesthetic moralism Required Reading: Berys Gaut, ‘Art and Ethics’, in Berys Gaut and Dominic McIver Lopes (eds), The Routledge Companion to Aesthetics, Third Edition (Routledge, 2013). Noel Carroll, ‘Moderate Moralism’, The British Journal of Aesthetics, 36.1 (1996): 223-238. |
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Week 11 |
Fiction, Imagination, and Moral Understanding Required Reading: Stacie Friend, ‘Imagining Fact and Fiction’, in Kathleen Stock and Karen Thomson-Jones (eds), New Waves in Aesthetics (Palgrave MacMillan, 2008). Stacie Friend, ‘Believing in Stories’, in Greg Currie, Matthew Kiernan, Aaron Meskin, and Jon Robson (eds), Aesthetics and the Sciences of Mind (Oxford University Press, 2014). Noel Carroll, ‘Art, Narrative, and Moral Understanding’ in Jerrold Levinson (ed.), Aesthetics and Ethics Essays at the Intersection (Cambridge University Press, 1998). |
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Week 12 |
Philosophy and/as Literature Required Reading: Martha Nussbaum, ‘“Finely Aware and Richly Responsible”: Literature and the Moral Imagination’, from her Love’s Knowledge: Essays on Philosophy and Literature (Oxford University Press, 1999). Richard Eldridge, ‘“Reading for Life”: Martha C. Nussbaum on Philosophy and Literature, Review of Love's Knowledge: Essays on Philosophy and Literature by Martha C. Nussbaum. Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics, Third Series, 2.1 (Winter, 1992): 187-197. |
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Week 13 |
Essay Discussion and Peer Reviewing |
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/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/study/getting-started/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.
Submission of Assessments
All assessment pieces are to be submitted via the unit's iLearn site. Written assessment pieces will be run through the Turn It In software which detects unoriginal work.
Extensions and Disruption to Studies
Extensions and Penalties
All work must be submitted on time unless an extension has been granted. Requests for extensions must be made in writing BEFORE the due date and will only be considered on serious grounds. Extensions will not be given unless good reasons and appropriate evidence (e.g., medical certificates, counsellor's letters) are presented at the earliest opportunity. Please note that work due concurrently in other subjects is NOT an exceptional circumstance and does not constitute a legitimate reason for an extension.
Late Assessment Penalty
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
To obtain an extension you must submit a Disruption to Studies application. See below for details on how to do that.
Disruption to Studies Policy
The University classifies a disruption as serious and unavoidable if it: • could not have reasonably been anticipated, avoided or guarded against by the student; and
• was beyond the student's control; and
• caused substantial disruption to the student's capacity for effective study and/or completion of required work; and
• occurred during an event critical study period and was at least three (3) consecutive days duration, and / or
• prevented completion of a final examination.
Students with a pre-existing disability/health condition or prolonged adverse circumstances may be eligible for ongoing assistance and support. Such support is governed by other policies and may be sought and coordinated through Campus Wellbeing and Support Services.
How to submit a Disruption to Studies Notification?
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Applying for Special Consideration
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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.
- 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).
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Aesthetics Journal
- 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.
- Apply philosophical aesthetic theories to specific art examples.
- Actively participate in group discussion in tutorials (including online discussion).
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Aesthetics Journal
- 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 outcomes
- Acquire the conceptual and cultural tools to appreciate and discuss a range of art objects.
- Interpret and examine developments in contemporary aesthetics.
- Analyse and explore the relationship between theory and practice in contemporary art and culture.
- 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
- Aesthetics Journal
- 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.
- Actively participate in group discussion in tutorials (including online discussion).
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Aesthetics Journal
- 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
- 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).
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Aesthetics Journal
- 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
- 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).
Assessment tasks
- Participation
- Aesthetics Journal
- 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 outcomes
- Analyse and explore the relationship between theory and practice in contemporary art and culture.
- 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