Aesthetics of the Everyday
Syllabus, Master's level, 5ES087
- Code
- 5ES087
- Education cycle
- Second cycle
- Main field(s) of study and in-depth level
- Aesthetics A1N
- Grading system
- Fail (U), Pass (G), Pass with distinction (VG)
- Finalised by
- The Department Board, 8 March 2021
- Responsible department
- Department of Philosophy
Entry requirements
A student is eligible if they have fulfilled the requirements for a Bachelor's degree in humanities or holds an equivalent foreign degree.
Learning outcomes
The aim of this course is to study the philosophical issues raised by the idea that aesthetic value plays an important role in everyday life. After completing the course, the student is expected to be able to:
- apply key philosophical concepts of everyday aesthetics
- discuss critically with others different philosophical positions and views about the significance of aesthetic value for everyday life
- articulate their own critical assessment of at least some of the course materials and philosophical discussions covered.
Content
In this course we try to develop an understanding of the role of aesthetic value in everyday life. It is common for philosophical aesthetics to study art (painting, film, literature…). Sometimes it covers beauty in nature as well. But what about the ordinary things we make and do? An arrangement of furniture, one's clothes, the manner in which someone walks down the street. It seems that these can be beautiful or ugly as well. In other words, aesthetic value seems to figure in our everyday lives in a way that isn't obviously captured in a "philosophy of art". In this course, we will study central debates about the aesthetics of the everyday. The discussion will range from the aesthetic appreciation of the trivial and the mundane, to the "aestheticist" claim that aesthetic value should guide you in leading your life.
Instruction
Instruction is provided through lectures and seminars. The language of instruction is English.
Assessment
Students will be expected to give an oral presentation (25% overall mark) and submit a written assignment (75%).
If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.