Philosophical Aesthetics: Three Central Problems

In this course, we study three central problems within philosophical aesthetics. We start by looking at a specific aesthetic concept (e.g., _aesthetic value_, _aesthetic experience_ or _aesthetic judgment_) and investigate various theories and definitions of how the concept should be understood. Secondly, we turn to an issue about art in general or a specific art form to gain insight into how art may affect us and why we think that art is valuable (for instance: "Can music express emotions?" or "How does a painting differ from a photograph?"). We end by looking at an issue that concerns the broadening of aesthetics into domains outside of art (for instance: "How do we experience nature aesthetically?" or "Can functional or everyday objects be beautiful?"). The specific issues treated may vary from semester to semester.