1/19/2016
KCHU 323 AESTHETICS
Instructor: Jeremy Beahan
What Aesthetics Is Not
• A “How To” course for making things look beautiful
• Art History or Art Appreciation
• Mere Art Criticism
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What does “Aesthetic” mean?
The word “Aesthetic” is a
modern European
adaptation of the greek
word aisthetikos – “that
which pertains to sensory
perceptions”.
What does “Aesthetic” mean?
Modern usage of the word
“aesthetic” began with
Alexander Baumgarten
(1714-1762). He used it
to describe “sensuous
knowledge” or “cognition
by means of the senses.”
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What does “Aesthetic” mean?
Today the term “Aesthetic” is used to refer to our
experience of beauty and taste (in both art and the
natural world) more generally.
Aesthetics Is…
• A Form of Rational Inquiry: Aesthetics seeks
knowledge and truth through questioning, evidence & logic.
• A Branch of Philosophy: attempts to organize
knowledge into coherent (internally consistent) theories and
explores the implications of those theories for other areas of
philosophy and life.
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What is Philosophy?
• The word philosophy
comes from Greek
words philein “to love”
and Sophia “wisdom.”
The original meaning of
a philosopher was
someone who a had “a
love for wisdom”
What is special about philosophy?
• A philosopher attempts
to study reality, truth,
value and meaning by
critically analyzing
fundamental
assumptions and
beliefs.
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The Three Major Branches of Philosophy
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Axiology
Metaphysics
• The branch of philosophy
that examines the nature
of reality, including the
relationship between
mind and matter,
substance and attribute,
fact and value (American
Heritage Dictionary).
• Metaphysics attempts to
answer the question
“what is real?”
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Axiology
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Epistemology
• a branch of philosophy
that investigates the
origin, nature, methods,
and limits of human
knowledge (Dictionary.com v
Metaphysics
1.1).
• Epistemology attempts
to answer the question
“how do we know what
we know?”
Epistemology
Axiology
Axiology
• the branch of
philosophy dealing with
values, as those of
ethics and aesthetics
Metaphysics
(Dictionary.com v 1.1)
• Axiology asks “what is
good?”, “what is of
worth”, “what is
beauty”
Epistemology
Axiology
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Axiology
Ethics
Aesthetics
What is the value of art?
What is Beautiful?
Is there high/low art?
What is to be valued? Why?
What makes an action good/bad?
How are we to be governed?
There is much overlap between disciplines—with conclusions in
one area having important implications for others…
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Axiology
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“Aesthetics is for artists
like ornithology is for
the birds”
-Barnett Newman
Philosophy: why should you care?
• We are going to form ideas & beliefs anyway—we should do
so deliberately, carefully and intelligently.
• Understanding the philosophical dimension of art may help
richen your experience of it.
• To defend the arts in society, by articulating is value.
• Do you need a reason? The joy/struggle to understand is an
end in itself.
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Aesthetics as Philosophy: a closer look
The Aesthetic
• What is “the Aesthetic”? How is it best defined
• What types of experiences qualify as Aesthetic experiences
and why? Can aesthetic experiences be true or false?
• What role do beliefs and attitudes play in aesthetic
experience?
Aesthetics as Philosophy: a closer look
What is Art
• Questions of definition: What is Art proper? What, if anything
makes something fine art?
• Is there some feature of or property that is essential to Artsomething without which a work does not deserve the label
art?
• What makes one an artist? Can anyone be an artist?
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Aesthetics as Philosophy: a closer look
Does art have a distinctive value?
• Why is it important if something is art anyway? Is art any
more important than mere amusement?
• If so where does art derive its distinctive value?
• Are some works of art more valuable than others (high and
low art) and on what would we base such judgments?
Other topics covered…
• What specific Philosophers have contributed to aesthetics
(Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Hume, Nietzsche, etc.)
• Marxist and Feminist perspectives on aesthetics.
• Aesthetic experience and human nature: Is there a
biological/evolutionary basis for our appreciation of beauty?
• Beauty in nature, and aesthetics relationship with
environmental ethics
• Does it make sense to argue over matters of taste?
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