PHL 372 ART, EXPERIENCE, AND LANGUAGE

The main project of this course will be broadening our aesthetic vocabulary. Many of us are accustomed to discussing aesthetic experiences in the context of art, nature, and beauty. However, our aesthetic experiences are more diverse than these categories admit. Students will gain a grounding in traditional/mainstream aesthetics, then consider what is available in other arenas: sports, laundry, human bodies, eating and preparing food, and so on. We will also consider aesthetic appreciation for artworks that do not seem interested in beauty, or other traditional aesthetic values. Students will conclude the course by offering a philosophical analysis of an under-explored aesthetic value or judgment, like “pretty,” “awesome,” or “gaudy.”