Phil. 1361/Dr. Freeland Fall 2009

Essay Take-Home 1

Directions: Write on two topics (preferably not on both topic 3 and 4). Aim for 1½ to 2 pages per essay, double-spaced. (I am not fussy about length or format.) There is no need to quote the entire paper topic at the start of your essay.

Advice: Be clear and get to the point. Make your topic and thesis clear in the introduction. Provide examples from class or from your own experience. Be sure to refer to several of the readings and to supply evidence for your summaries or interpretations with quotes from the text. Papers will be graded on the basis of how well they answer the questions and also according to how well they manifest fundamental writing skills such as grammar, spelling, organization, punctuation, clarity, etc. Proofread! You do not need to supply formal footnotes for the two course texts; simply cite them as “Freeland, p. 3” or “Korsmeyer, p. 11”.  Remember to consult the Writing Tips from Dr. Freeland. And remember, do not plagiarize! Paraphrasing is plagiarizing, and so is any quotation without a proper citation. Plagiarized papers will receive an “F”.

1. Violence, horror, tragedy

Why do people enjoy tragedy and/or horror, despite the violence? Is it because of the violence? Consider various answers to this question by Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Carroll, and/or Freeland. Which answer seems best to you and why? Be sure to include examples in your discussion. Possible examples: The Bacchae by Euripides, Parsifal by Wagner, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, other horror films, or recent film tragedies (possibly including The Wrestler, There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, District 9, Benjamin Button, The Departed, Brokeback Mountain, Drag Me to Hell, Let the Right One In, Last House on the Left, Eastern Promises, and 28 Weeks Later).

2. Danto’s definition of art

Explain why Arthur Danto makes this claim:

…it does seem to me that most philosophies of art have been by and large disguised endorsements of the kind of art the philosophers approved of, or disguised criticisms of art the philosopher disapproved, or at any rate theories defined against the historically familiar art of the philosopher’s own time. In a way, the philosophy of art has really only been art criticism

Does this point also apply to Danto’s own definition of art? Authors to consider: Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Aquinas, Nietzsche, Danto.

3. Eaton and the Aesthetic

What is new in Marcia Eaton’s discussion of the aesthetic? Does her revision of the traditional notion of the aesthetic make sense to you? Explain. Would the aesthetic in her sense be relevant to the definitions of art given by later figures such as Kant, Aquinas, Nietzsche, and/or Danto?

4. Art and the Aesthetic

Should art be aesthetically pleasing? Can art be defined as whatever is aesthetically pleasing? Why or why not? Be sure to use examples and include some references to our readings.

Paper is due Monday, October 12th. Late papers will be marked down.

Papers must be submitted to the course page on Blackboard/Vista using the Turnitin.com drop box. There is no need to submit a paper copy in class. Your on-line version will be returned to you with comments on the Blackboard website. Be sure to retain your submission receipt from WebCT. You will need to submit one essay in the box titled “Take-Home Essay Part 1” and the other essay for “Take-Home Essay Part 2.”