Phil/FA 310 Introduction to Aesthetics Instructor: Dr. Norman
Lillegard Office: H 229 587 7384 Office Hours: 10.00 ‑11.00 a.m.
and 1-2 p.m. MWF and by appointment Texts: Puzzles about Art
(ed. Battin etc.) and Basic Issues in Aesthetics by Eaton (In UC
and Bradley). Course Title: Questions about the Arts That Won’t
Go Away. Art; can you define it? Are there non-subjective
standards of criticism/evaluation? Why bother with the arts? Why
spend (public) money on galleries, subsidies for playwrights or
orchestras, etc.? Are there correct interpretations of art
works? Does interpretation depend upon the artists intentions?
Should art be “moral” in any sense? Should it be censored in any
way? Is avant-garde art really art at all? What is the
“ontological status” of various art works? How do art works
differ from products of the crafts, if at all? How if at all do
“fine arts” differ from entertainment? Does, or should, art
“imitate” life or anything else? What about “art for arts sake?”
Is art a medium of expression