Aesthetics

This lecture offers a historical survey upon the main theories of beauty and art from the ancient Greek philosophy (Plato and Aristotle) through neoplatonism (Plotinus), Renaissance, empirical theories, Hume's theory of taste and the rationalistic approach of A. Baumgarten's Aesthetics to Kant's "Critique of Judgement". It focuses on the function of mimetic and imaginative (re)presentation witch are discussed in relation to the original texts.

Objectives

This course offers a historical introduction to ontology and epistemology of art and beauty. It focuses as its main topic on the development of the theory of mimesis in connection to the question of truth. By the end of the course: - Students will have an overwiew of the most important theories of art and beauty from Plato to I. Kant as well as of the related concepts of mimesis and the (re)presentational features of art. - They will be aware of specific conceptual tools for the ontological and epistemological analysis of the phenomenon of art, - They will be aware of the anthropological significance of art and of our experience of beauty and - they will have acquaintance with ancient Greek sources concerning the theory of mimesis.

Prerequisites

Basic systematic orientation in ontology and epistemology. Basic concepts of the philosophy of language

Syllabus

• Introduction: meanings of the term “aesthetics”; philosophy VS theory of art; the way of ontological, epistemological and ethical questioning concerning art and beauty • Plato: analytic of beauty – concept of mimesis – mimesis and truth (with respect to the dialogues Hippias major, Ion, Kratylos, Politeia, Ι’) • Aristoteles: theory of mimesis and the relation between mimesis and knowledge in Art of Poetry, Ι - IX) • Plotinus: form, creativeness, anagoge to the divine • Renaissance: (re)presenting the true empirical knowledge of the world • A. Baumgarten/G.F. Meyer: jugding according to the senses – (re)presenting the subjective ‘truth’ of sensitive perception – the concept of aesthetic truth • D. Hume: theory of taste • Ι. Καντ: analytic of beauty - aesthetic jugdement – the ontological and epistemological autonomy of the experience of art and beauty (Critique of Jugdment Analytic of Beauty)