539 aesthetics

Spring 2005
H 2-5 pm Buchanan D302

Dominic McIver Lopes
<dom.lopes@ubc.ca>

An examination of recent philosophical work in aesthetics and metaphysics. The primary focus of the seminar is the ontology of art, with special attention to the implications of views in the ontology of art for views about the appreciation of art works. Specific topics include theories of the relationship between performances and works performed, monist and pluralist ontologies of art, Platonism about multiple-instance art works, categories of art, and the necessity of art works' origins. We will also read some related literature on the existence of fictional characters. All readings represent the most recent research on these topics in the analytic tradition. In addition, two philosophers who have made important contributions to these topics will visit the seminar to discuss their current work. Students with a background in art history or art theory are especially welcome.

texts

Photocopy package available from the instructor for a modest fee.

evaluation

Each member of the seminar will normally make at least one presentation. A mark for the presentation constitutes one quarter of the final course mark. Another quarter of the final course mark reflects general participation in the seminar. The remaining half of the final mark will be awarded for written work.

There is no set format for written work. Members of the seminar may opt to submit a fully researched term paper or any number of shorter non-research papers, in consultation with the instructor and taking into account their background and their goals for the course. The total length of material submitted for evaluation should normally fall near five thousand words, but this is only a rough guideline.

schedule

September 8	Introduction: An Overview of Aesthetics and Metaphysics
September 15	Literature as Performance Peter Kivy, The Performance of Literature (manuscript) Presentation: Dominic Lopes
September 22	Pluralism + Structuralism: Autographic and Allographic Works Nelson Goodman, Languages of Art, 2nd ed. (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1976) 99-123 Presentation: Josh Johnston
September 29	Anti-Platonism + Contextualism Jerrold Levinson, "What a Musical Work Is," Journal of Philosophy 77 (1980) 5-28 Presentation: Jenn Neilson
October 6	Platonism Julian Dodd, "Musical Works as Eternal Types," British Journal of Aesthetics 40 (2000) 424-40 Presentation: Hugh Hunter Ben Caplan and Carl Matheson, "Can a Musical Work Be Created?" British Journal of Aesthetics 44 (2004) 113-34 Presentation: Dominic Lopes
October 13	Monism: Works as Actions David Davies, Art as Performance (Oxford: Blackwell, 2004) 127-76 Presentation: James Kelleher
October 20	TBA
October 27	Necessity of Art Works' Origins Guy Rohrbaugh, "I Could Have Done That," British Journal of Aesthetics 45 (2005) 209-28 Presentation: Yuichi Amitani Pragmatist Ontology Amie Thomasson, "The Ontology of Art and Knowledge in Aesthetics," Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 63 (2005) 221-9 Presentation: Nola Semczyszyn
November 3	Fictional Characters Amie Thomasson, Fiction and Metaphysics (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999) chs 2, 8 Presentation: Joseph Topornycky Gregory Currie, "Characters and Contingency," in Arts and Minds (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004) 28-42 Presentation: Gemma Celestino
November 10	Categories of Appreciation Kendall Walton, "Categories of Art," Philosophical Review 79 (1970) 339-67 Presentation: Patrick Edwards Dominic McIver Lopes, "True Appreciation" (manuscript) Dominic McIver Lopes, "The Medium Is the Medium" (manuscript)
November 17	No class
November 24	Seminar Led by Amie Thomasson on Artifacts
December 1	Presentations of Work in Progress Reza Memarsadeghi Michaela Woolley

disclaimer

This syllabus may be amended by the instructor at any time.