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CS92PROD
German Aesthetic Theory

GRST 287
Fall 2011 not offered
Crosslisting: COL 280, ARHA 262
Certificates: Social, Cultural and Critical Theory

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the field of aesthetics, beginning with its simultaneous inception as both theory of art and theory of sensuous perception in Baumgarten's Aesthetica, and concluding with Adorno's last great synthesis of aesthetic thought in his Aesthetic Theory. Perhaps more than in any other tradition, the philosophical study of art has been an essential concern in German intellectual history. Rather than treating the arts as a pleasant diversion, German philosophers sought to find socially and philosophically relevant meaning and even truth in works of art. The course will proceed chronologically, exploring the ways in which German thinkers from the 18th to the 20th century have conceptualized art in general, as well as different art forms. At the end of the semester, we will consider what remains of this legacy in contemporary American and European debates on art and aesthetics.

Essential Capabilities: Interpretation
This course will help students acquire the tools and vocabulary for understanding unfamiliar texts and arguments.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA GRST
Course Format: Lecture / DiscussionGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: None

Last Updated on DEC-02-2024
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