Philosophy 12 Wolno
Aesthetics (Philosophy of Art)
Part A: Look for answers to the following questions on pp. 311 – 318 in your textbook, Philosophy: Questions and Theories.
1. Define the roles of the “aesthetic triad”, p. 311.
2. Think of the textbook’s claim that “music [can be] good, but inappropriate on some occasions”. Have you ever experienced such a phenomenon yourself? Do tell.
3. What “perspective” did Aristotle bring to aesthetics? Describe his approach.
4. According to Aristotle, how does an artist know when his/her piece is complete? (Use your dictionary to answer this question thoroughly.)
5. Do your best to try and think of an example for each of the “aesthetic…points of view” listed at the bottom of p. 312. These examples may be from your own experience, or imagined.
6. Why was Plato “hostile to[ward] the arts”?
7. See the Figure 15.5 on p. 314. The caption beneath it ends with a question. What is your answer to this question?
8. What was Confucius’s (Kongfuzi’s) attitude towards art and its potential effect on the individual and a society at large?
9. Before the Renaissance, in what esteem were artists generally held?
10. During the Renaissance, the relative quality of art paralleled what aspect of its craft-work?
11. How are Descartes’ views on art consistent with what we have already learned about Cartesian philosophy?
12. In what way are Hume’s and Kant’s views of “artistic taste” distinct? In what ways do they overlap?
13. What was the relationship between art, religion, and philosophy according to Hegel? How did Hegel’s view of art complement that of Kant’s?
14. In what way is 19th c. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche considered an artist? How are his priorities in terms of existence different from Plato’s?
15. According to John Dewey, when does a “product” of art actually become art? How does his view of art fundamentally differ from Kant’s?
Part B: In approximately 350 words, write a thoughtful response to the following:
Post-modernist philosophers have completely reassessed the
value of Art. The more radical of them have gone so far
as to claim that “art is dead”. With the invention of the camera,
such traditional forms of art as portraits, theatre, anything that
attempted to “capture reality”, became redundant since the cam-
era could do it “more perfectly”. This view, however, seems to
put more stock in the “product” of art, and less so on the creation
of it.
a) What is art to you?; b) How much a part of art is craftsmanship?;
c) What is the difference between craft-work and artistry?