General provisions

The course is offered to C level students and students at advanced level. For students at advanced level, the examination requirements are higher than for students at C level.

Entry requirements

Fulfilment of the requirements for a Bachelor's degree in the humanities or a corresponding foreign degree

Learning outcomes

At the completion of the course, the students are expected to have acquired an in-depth understanding of the themes and questions discussed. The student is expected to be able to:

• use the concepts and distinctions necessary to critically discuss and position themselves in relation to the theories and arguments studied
• understand texts containing historical analysis and philosophical argumentation
• account for and give a systematic treatment of central contemporary questions within philosophical aesthetics
• analyse strengths and weaknesses in the theories studied
• use theoretical tools and resources to argue for and against central theories about aesthetic value, art, and artistic experience.

Content

The aim of this course is to introduce philosophical questions concerning the imagination and its role in the creation and appreciation of art. Topics that may be addressed include: What is imagination? What role does imagination play for the expression of emotion in art? Is there any connection between imagination and artistic creativity, and if so, what does the connection consist of exactly? What is imaginative resistance to morally deviant fictions, and what explains this phenomenon? Do stories count as fiction because their authors intend that readers shall use their imagination in certain ways?

Instruction

Instruction is provided through lectures and seminars. The language of instruction is English

Assessment

The examination consists of a home assignment.

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.