The Origins of Art: Nature or Culture?

7.5 credits

Course, Bachelor's level, 5ES078

Autumn 2023 Autumn 2023, Uppsala, 100%, On-campus, English

Autumn 2024 Autumn 2024, Uppsala, 100%, On-campus, English

About the course

To what extent can art be said to be a socio-cultural product, and to what extent can it be said to be the instinctive expression of human nature? We approach the central questions from an interdisciplinary perspective, that is to say not only from the point of view of philosophy but also with the help of anthropology, evolutionary theory, psychology and neurology. How, if at all, can empirical data add to our understanding of why art exists and plays an important part in our lives? Does art have a distinct cognitive function or is it a so-called by-product? What can cave art teach us about the development of our ability to think symbolically?

In this course, students at the first and second cycles study together. The examination requirements are higher for second-cycle students than for first-cycle students.

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