OVERVIEW

Basic introduction to the aesthetic concepts and the history of aesthetics. The acquired knowledge will be applied to the guided reading of a main aesthetic text. The course is as general as possible in order to meet the requirements of different degree courses.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at giving a general outline of basic aesthetic problems. The main points of interest are a general historical introduction, the ontological status of the art object, the receiver’s role in the construction of its meaning. Students will be guided through the reading of one or more classics in aesthetics.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at offering the basic notions of aesthetics and an overview of its history. The main points of interest are the ontological status of the art object, the receiver’s role in the construction of its meaning, the current theoretical debate, the relation between aesthetics and psychology, history, and semiotics of arts. It is expected that at the end of the course students have extensive enough knowledge of aesthetics problems and be able to appraise its usefulness for their training. The reading of a classic text during the lessons period is restricted to the students whose load is 9 CFU. It aims at considering the actual development of aesthetic arguments and training students in the text interpretation. 

PREREQUISITES

Prerequisite for students of Philosophy is a knowledge of the history of philosophy at a university level.

TEACHING METHODS

The term of a course is 54 hours (36 for students whose load is 6 or 8 CFU) of frontal lessons, learning tests and discussion. A seminarial reading is planned for students whose load is 9 CFU. Students of the Degree Program in Product and Event Design are bound to produce a Power Point or .pdf slide show (10 minutes maximum, and approved by the professor) on the relation between image and inscription within a design sub-sector (to be chosen among advertising, packaging, websites, instruction manuals, logos, comic books, illustrated books, journals, etc.). Students of the first-cycle Degree Program in Philosophy can write an essay (approved by the professor) on one of the topics addressed during the course.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Contents for students who are taking the 6-CFU or 8-CFU course

Fundamentals of history of aesthetics. Major topics in aesthetics. Constructivist aesthetics.

Contents for students who are taking the 9-CFU course

Fundamentals of history of aesthetics. Major topics in aesthetics. Constructivist aesthetics.

Reading of Aristotle's Poetics.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bibliography for students whose load is 6 CFU

E. PANOFSKY, Idea. Contributo alla storia dell'estetica, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 2006.
W. TATARKIEWICZ, Storia di sei idee, Aesthetica, Palermo 2011.

Bibliography for students whose load is 8 CFU (enrolled in the Politechnic School, who are bound to only follow the course for 6 CFU)

W. TATARKIEWICZ, Storia di sei idee, Aesthetica, Palermo 2011.

R. FALCINELLI, Critica portatile al visual design, Einaudi, Torino 2014

Bibliography for students whose load is 9 CFU

E. PANOFSKY, Idea. Contributo alla storia dell'estetica, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 2006.

W. TATARKIEWICZ, Storia di sei idee, Aesthetica, Palermo 2011.

ARISTOTELE, Poetica, ed. a scelta.

Supplementary texts and secondary literature will be recommended at the beginning of the course. Some supplementary essays and the Italian translation of selected passages from Aristotle’s Poetics can be found on the page of the course in Aulaweb

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

OSCAR MEO (President)

ILARIA BOEDDU

PAOLO DE LUCIA

LETTERIO MAURO

LESSONS

LESSONS START

23rd September 2019

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral Examination. The students enrolled in the Polytechnic School will produce a Power Point or .pdf slide show (10 minutes maximum, and approved by the professor) on a topic approved by the professor.

In front of the examining board the students enrolled in the Degree Course of Philosophy whose load is 9 CFU will interpret a passage of the classical text expounded in class.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

During each class, active interaction and debate is encouraged through discussion on single topics. During the final examination, which is an individual oral exam, the students' level of comprehension and expression abilities will be assessed. Students will be graded as "pass" if they have understood the basic concepts of the course and are able to present them in a clear, coherent way, with essential terminology, but they barely outline the main ideas, lacking in-depth knowledge. Students will be graded as "excellent", if they are able to present concepts in depth and to develop them autonomously with logically sound arguments, references to other topics addressed during the course, appropriate and clever personal observations, and if they have a strong command of specific terminology. Since students from different study programs (not necessarily within the School of Humanities) are attending the course, students' background and specific professional needs will be taken into account for assessment purposes.

Students registered in the first-cycle Degree Program in Philosophy can write an essay (approved by the professor) on one of the topics addressed during the course.

Students registered in the Degree Program in Product and Event Design are bound to produce a Power Point or .pdf slide show (10 minutes maximum, and approved by the professor) on the relation between image and inscription within a design sub-sector (to be chosen among advertising, packaging, websites, instruction manuals, logos, comic books, illustrated books, journals, etc.).

Exam schedule