An elementary study of the interpretation of human existence by selected existentialist thinkers. Top HSP 207 Ethics 4 hours. An attempt to understand the fundamental human alternatives in the wake of the moral skepticism of our age. I 4 hours. Conceptual analysis of the arts and what they reveal about human existence.
Emphasis is placed on questions about creativity and meaning.
Topics include representation and truth, expression, art and language, and the nature of cultural regularities. Special emphasis on the rise of modernism and formalism. 209 Philosophy of the Arts II 4 hours. Continued study of the question of meaning in art emphasizing the problem of interpretation. Models for criticism and contemporary debates about postmodern culture are examined.