Aesthetics –

phl220

(3 credits)

This course enables students to analyze and develop reasoned opinions on some of the most central and enduring philosophical issues in light of aesthetics. Emphasis is placed on critical analysis, reasoning, and independent thought regarding issues of beauty, taste, and interpretation of artistic expression across epochs.

This undergraduate-level course is 5 weeks. To enroll, speak with an Enrollment Advisor.

Topics and Objectives

Introduction to Aesthetics and Interpretation
- Define aesthetics as a branch of philosophy.
- Identify terminology associated with aesthetics.
- Apply aesthetic principles for interpreting art.
- Compare the aesthetic qualities of natural and manmade beauty.
Foundations in the Philosophy of Aesthetics
- Explain the concept of art as imitation.
- Explain the aesthetic philosophies of Plato and Aristotle.
- Interpret the aesthetic philosophies of Hume, Kant, and Burke.
Into Modernity
- Explain the aesthetic philosophies of Hegel and Dewey.
- Demonstrate aesthetic reasoning from multiple philosophical points of view.
- Explain the effects of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Age upon modernist aesthetics.
The Aesthetics of Postmodernism
- Explicate the connotations and denotations of symbols in the aesthetics of postmodernism.
- Analyze aesthetic expression through the various philosophies of postmodernism.
- Evaluate the aesthetics of contemporary, nontraditional arts such as television, music, mass art, street art, and electronic media.
Toward an Aesthetic Sense of the Future
- Demonstrate how ideas about gender, race, and ideology might be viewed through aesthetic principles.
- Analyze popular arts, including visual art, music, dance, and film, using aesthetic principles.
- Explain the effect of digitization and accessibility of the arts in the Internet Age on individual aesthetic experience.

The University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses.
While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. Please check with a University Enrollment Advisor.
Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice.

Aesthetics –

phl220

Introduction to Aesthetics and Interpretation

Foundations in the Philosophy of Aesthetics

Into Modernity

The Aesthetics of Postmodernism

Toward an Aesthetic Sense of the Future

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