UGS 302: Art, Criticism, and Society University of Texas at Austin Fall 2016

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1 UGS 302: Art, Criticism, and Society University of Texas at Austin Fall Instructor: Dr. Scott R. Stroud Office: CMA 7.138a Phone: Office Hours: T/Th 1-2PM and sstroud@austin.utexas.edu by appointment Class Time: T/Th 2-3:30PM Unique Number: Classroom: MAI 220C Undergrad Assistant: xxxxxxx Class Website: on Canvas xxxxxxxx@utexas.edu Course Description: Art surrounds us throughout our life. What makes something art? What makes art valuable? How should we interpret or criticize art? These are just some of the many questions we will explore in looking at what art means to society. We will read many classical and contemporary authors on what makes art valuable or unique. We will also discuss a variety of case studies in the arts to illustrate our theoretical readings. This course represents an interdisciplinary examination of what art is and what its value to society could be. Students will read a variety of authors writing about art from a range of disciplines art history, rhetoric, English, philosophy, and communication studies. We will work diligently on charitably understanding the arguments of others while honing our own views and argumentative skills. The course will also allow students to think about the role of art in their own lives and the values it brings to their experience. The course culminates with each student leading a presentation and writing a sustained argumentative paper on a topic of their choice relating to art and society. Overall Academic Goals: 1. Students will become familiar with the different definitions and accounts of art. 2. Students will be able to write argumentative analyses of scholarly sources and artistic case studies. 3. Students will be able to plan, research, and write a sustained term paper on an original topic. 4. Students will be able to verbally express their arguments in a reasonable way in the presence of other students. Required Texts: 1. David Goldblatt & Lee Brown, Aesthetics: A Reader in the Philosophy of the Arts (2011, 3 rd Edition). Articles/Selections (available on Canvas): 1. W.K. Wimsatt & Monroe C. Beardsley, The Intentional Fallacy, in Joseph Margolis (ed.), Philosophy Looks at the Arts, pp (Temple University Press, Philadelphia, 1987). 2. E.D. Hirsch, Jr., In Defense of the Author, in Gary Iseminger (ed.), Intention and Interpretation, pp (Temple University Press, Philadelphia, 1992). 3. Jerrold Levinson, Messages in Art, Australasian Journal of Philosophy 73:2, 1995: Scott R. Stroud, How to Do Things with Art, Southern Journal of Philosophy 44 (2), 2006, Jerome Stolnitz, On the Cognitive Triviality of Art, British Journal of Aesthetics, 32:3, Peter Lamarque & Stein Haugom Olsen, The Propositional Theory of Literary Truth, Truth, Fiction, and Literature (Clarendon Press, 1994), Chp 13.

2 7. Noel Carroll, The Wheel of Virtue: Art, Literature, and Moral Knowledge, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 60:1, Peter Kivy, The Laboratory of Fictional Truth, Philosophies of Arts (Cambridge University Press, 1997), Chp Edwin Black, The Second Persona, Quarterly Journal of Speech, 56, 1970, Wayne C. Booth, Implied Authors as Friends and Pretenders, The Company We Keep (University of California Press, 1988), Chp Yuriko Saito, Everyday Aesthetics, Philosophy and Literature, 25 (1), 2001, Assignments: Participation 15% Lecture Series Assignment 3% Blanton Gem Assignment 3% Presentation 18% Short Papers (3) 30% (10% each) Term Paper Proposal 4% Term Paper 27% Assignment Descriptions: I expect you to listen attentively while I am speaking and to engage in productive, on-topic comments while we are discussing various issues and readings. My observations of this (supplemented by random sign-in sheets), as well as any short written activities (such as reading quizzes or brief writing assignments) we do in class, will constitute one s participation grade. Additionally, bring hardcopies of your readings to class, as they may be referred to in discussion. If you must miss a class because of a religious holiday, please inform me about this well in advance. This class has a NO SCREENS policy: there will be absolutely no use of cell phones, laptops, or tablets inside the seminar room once class begins. Feel free to take notes on paper. This is our policy because of the distractions that these devices pose to you and others, as well as because of the nature of this course (focusing more on argument and discussion than on note-taking or memorization). If you must call, , or text someone, leave the room to do so. Another part of your course grade will be the attendance of a University Lecture Series event ( and the completion of a one page write-up about this presentation. More details will follow on this assignment. As part of UGS, you are required to visit a campus gem relevant to your course. For this course, you will be required to visit the Harry Ransom Center at UT ( to view some of their exhibited art works, and write a short criticism of one piece (around 1 page in length). More details will follow on the timing and specifics of this assignment. I envision this class as a seminar, and as such, I expect you all to take an active part in shaping how we approach the readings and ideas we encounter. Thus, each student will be charged with giving a presentation toward the end of the semester. I expect you to choose some art object or practice (run this by me first), and then give a presentation connecting it to some aspect of this course addressed in our readings. Your presentation will take minutes, and we ll follow this with general discussion (including some questions). You will need to turn in some material trace of this presentation (an outline or manuscript). You must write three short papers over the course of the semester. These papers will be 3 pages in length, typed with one-inch margins and a reasonable font size. In each paper, you are to examine one of the author s claims. Indicate what claim of the author you are writing on, and explain it thoroughly. After that 2

3 3 evaluate the success to which the author succeeds in making that claims (in other words, does the author succeed in making a good argument?). Be sure to provide explicit reasons for your evaluative conclusion. The first paper will be read by one other student in the class for peer feedback. You will also get a chance to revise the first paper after my feedback. Your giving of feedback to another student will be part of your paper 1 grade. We ll talk more about these assignments in class. A term paper (7-10 pages) dealing with a significant issue raised in class readings will be required of students. This paper must include outside research and critical reflection on the part of the student concerning class content. You can deal with issues in art, art objects, or artistic practices that interest you (literature, film, etc.). Many of the special libraries and centers around UT may be of interest for this project. You must inform me in a 2 page proposal of your proposed topic for feedback on its suitability. This is your chance to link class ideas to your own areas of interest or to expand on something that only received a bit of treatment in the course. More details concerning this paper will follow in class. Notes to Syllabus: Due dates: assignments must meet the due dates or be subject to a 20% penalty if turned in within a week (after that, a 0% must be recorded). Tests missed without medical, legal, or university documentation cannot be retaken. I will follow the university policy on making accommodations for recognized religious holidays. The university policy on plagiarism will be strictly enforced. Using the text or ideas of someone else in your papers or presentations without clearly citing them is the stealing of those words or ideas, and significant cases will result in an F for the course (less significant cases will result in an 0% on that assignment). As intelligent university students, I expect that none of you will resort to cheating on papers or presentations in this course. If there is ever any doubt about something being plagiarism, please consult me or your TA before turning in the completed assignment so we can avoid such issues. Information on plagiarism and its consequences is here: Grading Policy: Grades will be assigned on a +/- basis, with standard percentage distributions being employed (so, 80-82%=B-, 83-86%=B, 87-89%=B+, and so on for the other grades). If you need help on your writing, seek it out. We are always willing to help you, as is the University Writing Center ( Disability Statement: Students with disabilities who require special accommodations need to get a letter that documents the disability from the Services for Students with Disabilities area of the Office of the Dean of Students ( voice or TTY for users who are deaf or hard of hearing). This letter should be presented to the instructor in each course at the beginning of the semester and accommodations needed should be discussed at that time. Five business days before an exam the student should remind the instructor of any testing accommodations that will be needed. Canvas: This course uses Canvas, a Web-based course management system in which a password-protected site is created for each course. Canvas is available at Support is provided by the ITS Help Desk at Monday through Friday 8 am to 6 pm, so plan accordingly. I will use this website to distribute handout readings, as well as to post any additional information or comments. Due Dates:

4 Sept. 13 Oct. 11 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Dec. 1 Nov. 17-Dec. 1 Dec. Short Paper #1 Draft Due Ransom Gem Assignment Due Short Paper #2 Due Term Paper Proposal Due Short Paper #3 Due Presentations Due Term Paper Due 4 Week 1. Aug 25: Introductions Argument Handout Reading Schedule Week 2. Aug 30: Plato and Art as Imitation Plato: Against Imitation, Aesthetics 4-7 Plato: Allegory of the Cave, Aesthetics Plato: Ion, Aesthetics Sept 1: Defining Art Morris Weitz: The Role of Theory in Aesthetics, Aesthetics George Dickie: Art as a Social Institution, Aesthetics Gary L. Hagberg: The Paradox of Expression, Aesthetics Week 3. Sept 6: Painting, Formalism, and its Limits Clive Bell: Form in Modern Painting, Aesthetics Edmund Burke Feldman, A Formal Analysis, Aesthetics Arthur C. Danto: Works of Art and Mere Real Things, Aesthetics Sept 8: Painting and Ethics Anne Eaton: Painting and Ethics, Aesthetics Dennis Dutton: Artistic Crimes, Aesthetics Week 4. Sept 13: Photography as Art? [Paper #1 Draft Due] Roger Scruton, Why Photography does not represent Artistically, Aesthetics Ted Cohen, What s Special about Photography? Aesthetics Flo Leibowitz, The Hubble Photographs as Aesthetic Objects, Aesthetics Sept 15: No Class work on paper comments Week 5. Sept 20: Literature, Intention, and Interpretation W.K. Wimsatt & Monroe C. Beardsley, The Intentional Fallacy, CV E.D. Hirsch, In Defense of the Author, CV Sept 22: Art, Intentionalism, and Interpretation Richard Shusterman, Beneath Interpretation, Aesthetics Jerrold Levinson, Messages in Art, CV Week 6.

5 Sept 27: Art, Interpretation, and the Zen Koan Scott R. Stroud, How to Do Things with Art, CV 5 Sept 29: Popular Art as Art? Alexander Nehamas, Plato and the Mass Media, Aesthetics Lee Brown, Adorno s Case against Popular Music, Aesthetics Week 7. Oct 4: Popular Art, Reclaimed Richard Shusterman, In Defense of Popular Arts, Aesthetics Theodore Grayck, Fakin It: Is there Authenticity in Commercial Music? Aesthetics Oct 6: Videogames as Art? Grant Tavinor Videogames, Interactivity, and Art, Aesthetics Stephanie Patridge, Is it only a Game? Aesthetics Week 8. Oct 11: Dance as Art [Ransom Center Gem Assignment Due] Monroe Beardsley, What is going on in a Dance? Aesthetics Noël Carroll and Sally Banes, Working and Dancing, Aesthetics Suzanne K. Langer, Virtual Powers, Aesthetics Oct 13: The Case against Artistic Truth Jerome Stolnitz, On the Cognitive Triviality of Art, CV Peter Lamarque & Stein Haugom Olsen, The Propositional Theory of Literary Truth, CV Week 9. Oct 18: The Case for Artistic Truth Noel Carroll, The Wheel of Virtue: Art, Literature, and Moral Knowledge, CV Peter Kivy, The Laboratory of Fictional Truth, CV Oct 20: Revenge Porn, Free Speech, and Challenges of Artistic Expression Week 10. Oct 25: Street Art and Clean Graffiti John Dewey, Art as Experience, Aesthetics Other Oct 27: Blanton Tour Tour of the Blanton Art Museum [meet at Blanton for our class session] [Paper #2 Due] Week 11. Nov 1: Statues, Aesthetics, and Public Art Walking Tour of Campus Landmarks Art Program [meet at Tower steps] Nov 3: Ethical Criticism Edwin Black, The Second Persona, CV Wayne C. Booth, Implied Authors as Friends and Pretenders, CV [Term Paper Proposal Due]

6 Week 12. Nov 8: Politics in Criticism: The Case of Feminism Peg Zeglin Brand, Feminism in Context, Aesthetics Linda Nochlin, Why are there no Great Women Artists? Aesthetics Nov 10: UGS Library Session Library Workshop [in PCL; details will follow] Week 13. Nov 15: Everyday Aesthetics and Nature Allen Carlson, Aesthetic Appreciation of the Natural Environment, Aesthetics Thomas Leddy, The Aesthetics of Junkyards, Aesthetics Yuriko Saito, Everyday Aesthetics, CV Nov 17: Individual Presentations, A Week 14. Nov 22: Individual Presentations, B Nov 24 No Class, Thanksgiving Holiday Week 15. Nov 29: Individual Presentations, C Dec 1: Individual Presentations, D [Paper #3 Due] *Final Paper Due via Canvas upload by

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