Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Art - BMEGT43XXYY

By completing the course students • will be familiar with core philosophical questions that arise in understanding the nature, artistic (and moral, cognitive, etc.) value and interpretation of artworks; • will be able to distinguish different theoretical positions and understand their strengths and weaknesses; • will be able, by applying these theoretical tools, to reformulate, theoretically and critically approach contemporary public discourses of art; • will be able to reflect argumentatively on personal experiences of artworks; • will gain knowledge on how the technological and economic environment shapes societal attitudes toward works of art and norms governing cultural discourses.

1. Reliable and sound knowledge of conceptual systems and methodologies of philosophy.
2. Solid knowledge of conceptualization for studying communication and media phenomena
3. Solid knowledge of the most important social science conceptualizations needed to study the communication phenomena

1. Skills of working out proposals and executing projects in her professional fields
2. Research skills
3. Analytical skills

1. Based on his/her own professional knowledge, he/she will recognise the specificities of communication and information in this field.
2. Presence from social science egocentrism in social science fields
3. Az innovációra való kritikai nyitottság

1. Adoption and enforcement of professional standards
2. Independence
3. Proficiency in professional communication both in oral and written form

The course consists of three modules. In each module, first a central case study (an interesting public discourse or “scandal” regarding artworks) is introduced to provoke group discussion and to gather pre-philosophical intuitions and opinions regarding the topic. In discussion classes we read and analyze theoretical texts (one paper or book excerpt for each class) through group work and joint discussion. For presentation classes students bring new case studies of their own choice and reformulate them by applying the previously encountered concepts and theories. In one module (The definition of art) we visit a contemporary art gallery.

• Danto, Arthur C. (1981). The Transfiguration of the Commonplace. Ch. 1. Works of art and mere real things. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 1–32.
• Abell, Catharine (2012). Art: what it is and why it matters. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 85: 671–691.
• Levinson, Jerrold (1979/2004). Defining art historically. In P. Lamarque és S. H. Olsen, szerk.: Aesthetics and the philosophy of art. Blackwell, 35–46.
• Carroll, Noël (1996). Moderate moralism. British Journal of Aesthetics, 36: 223–238.
• Eaton, Anne W. (2012). Robust immoralism. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 70: 281–292.
• Gaut, Berys (1998). The ethical criticism of art. In J. Levinson, ed.: Aesthetics and ethics. Essays at the intersection. Cambridge University Press, 182–203.
• Kieran, Matthew (2001). In defence of the ethical evaluation of narrative art. British Journal of Aesthetics, 41: 26–38.
• Hume, David (1757). Of the standard of taste.
• Goldie, Peter (2007). Towards a virtue theory of art. British Journal of Aesthetics, 47: 372–387.
• Levinson, Jerrold (2002). Hume's standard of taste. The real problem. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 60: 227–238.
• Ross, Stephanie (2008). Humean critics: real or ideal? British Journal of Aesthetics, 48: 20–28.

Participation is mandatory. No more than 3 classes may be missed.

Based on activity, homeworks, presentation and exam.

• Participation: 15
• Presentation: 30
• Homework: 15
• End-of-term exam: 40
• sum: 100

Participation.

Retake and make-up test options are defined by the valid regulations of the University’s Code on Education and Examination.

Consulted with the Faculty Student Representative Committee, approved by the Vice Dean for Education, valid from: 02.06.2024.

Why do we find it important to express our firm views—whether on social media or in cultural magazines—that the last season of Game of Thrones was a flop? And if others disagree, how can we determine which side is right in such debates? Are works that contain sexist or racist elements necessarily bad works of art? What kind of expert knowledge exists in the field of art, and should we generally trust critics? The primary goal of the course is to explore how contemporary public discourse on art take shape—from comment wars on social media platforms to critical debates, from high-profile cultural “scandals” to pressing funding issues. By engaging with contemporary analytical views in the philosophy of art and applying them to case studies (selected together by the instructors and the students), the course examines how philosophical questions about art manifest in the everyday realities of cultural production and consumption and how they influence the practice of artistic communication. The course will explore key problems in the philosophy of art while introducing analytical methods and conceptual tools that enable the clear formulation and examination of fundamental questions of art through the analysis of theoretical texts and discussions of specific art debates and “scandals”. In addition to conceptual analysis, we will place a strong emphasis on the social context of art, the functioning of contemporary art institutions, and the norms of communication that govern cultural discourses—many of which are being reshaped by the changing technological environment.