Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE LAS2026

 
TITLE The Philosophy of Literature and Artistic Aesthetics

 
UM LEVEL H - Higher Level

 
MQF LEVEL 6

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences

 
DESCRIPTION Section A
The application of analytical methods of philosophy to problems in aesthetics has become increasingly sophisticated over the past half century. This Unit will explore some of the issues taken up by philosophers in this area. These will include definitions of art, the ontology of art, aesthetic qualities, the value and truth of art, the nature of pictorial representations, the so-called “paradox of fiction” and the aesthetics of nature.

Section B
A philosophical examination of the concept of literature, the nature and distinctness of meaning in literature, the relations between literature and knowledge and the values inherent in literature. Some of the following questions will be pursued: Is it possible to define literariness? What is the status of an “author”? What are the criteria of validity of interpretation? What is fiction? Can literary fiction compete with philosophy and psychology as a source of insights into human nature?

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

Section A
By the end of the Unit the student will be able to understand some of the strengths and weaknesses of the application of analytical methods in philosophy to debates in aesthetics.

Section B
By the end of the Unit the student will be able to acquire a critical understanding of selected philosophical issues regarding literature and literary criticism.

2. Skills:

Section A
By the end of the Unit the student will be able to present and discuss a selection of fairly narrowly defined problems concerning art and aesthetic experience that have been subject to recent debate.

Section B
By the end of the Unit the student will be able to reflect critically on certain fundamental concepts relating to literary criticism, including the concept of literature itself, literary meaning and literary value.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Section A

- CARLSON, A – Aesthetics and the Environment
- CARROLL, N., ed. – Theories of art today
- DAVIES, D – Art as Performance
- GRAHAM, G – Philosophy of the Arts: An Introduction to Aesthetics
- HANFLING, O., ed. – Philosophical aesthetics: An introduction
- LAMARQUE, P.V. & OLSEN S. H., eds. – Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art: the Analytic Tradition: An Anthology

Section B

- BLOOM, H, - The Western Canon: the books and school of the ages
- EAGLETON, T – Literary Theory: An Introduction
- JOHN, E & LOPES, D. M., - Philosophy of Literature: Contemporary and Classic Readings: An Anthology (ebook)
- LAMARQUE, P.V. & OLSEN S. H., - Truth, Fiction and Literature
- LAMARQUE, P., ed. – Philosophy and fiction: essays in literary aesthetics
- LODGE, D. ed., - 20th Century Literary Criticism: a reader
- SCHROEDER, S., ed., - Philosophy of Literature (ebook)
- WALSH, R., - Fabula and Fictionality in narrative theory

N.B.: At the end of each session a list of supplementary readings will be provided in preparation for the following session.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S Josette Attard

 

 
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Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit