Event Title

Art and Life: What’s the Point?

Department

Philosophy

Location

Henry M. Hogan Campus Center

Start Date

8-4-2017 10:00 AM

End Date

8-4-2017 11:15 AM

Description

In this class, we’ll see what happens when art and philosophy meet. Confronted with a work of art (especially a “modern” work of art), we often find ourselves wondering, “what’s the point?” “What does it mean?” We are baffled by what we see. And yet, this is the very question philosophers like Plato and Aristotle think we should be asking about our own lives. Philosophy begins with wonder, Aristotle says. The first thing we should be moved to wonder about is why we are here. For, as Socrates famously claimed, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Can art show us why we are here? What can it teach us about life, and how does it do that? Does it tell the truth? In what way? In pondering these questions, we’ll be thinking about some ideas of Plato and more recent philosophers. At the same time, we’ll be looking at some paintings and sculpture... some very old, some very new.

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Apr 8th, 10:00 AM Apr 8th, 11:15 AM

Art and Life: What’s the Point?

Henry M. Hogan Campus Center

In this class, we’ll see what happens when art and philosophy meet. Confronted with a work of art (especially a “modern” work of art), we often find ourselves wondering, “what’s the point?” “What does it mean?” We are baffled by what we see. And yet, this is the very question philosophers like Plato and Aristotle think we should be asking about our own lives. Philosophy begins with wonder, Aristotle says. The first thing we should be moved to wonder about is why we are here. For, as Socrates famously claimed, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Can art show us why we are here? What can it teach us about life, and how does it do that? Does it tell the truth? In what way? In pondering these questions, we’ll be thinking about some ideas of Plato and more recent philosophers. At the same time, we’ll be looking at some paintings and sculpture... some very old, some very new.