Programme

In the first unit, students will be given an introduction to the vocabulary and problems of aesthetics. In particular, we will follow the historical path of the terms: Aesthetics, Imitation, Art, Beauty.
The unit will be divided into three parts:
1) Introduction to the term aesthetics, as experience and as a philosophical discipline. Concerning the birth of the term: reading and commentary by Baumgarten, Aesthetica, Introduction.
2) Art and mimesis, from antiquity to the eighteenth century: (partial) reading and commentary of Plato, Republic X; Aristotle, Poetica; Batteux, Le belle arti
3) The beautiful: reading and commentary of Kant, Analitica del bello.
N.B. All the texts are collected in the anthology Estetica, edited by P. D'Angelo, E. Franzini, G. Scaramuzza Raffaello Cortina, Milan.

The second part will explore the concept of sublime from Kant to some of interpretations of the twentieth century.
It will then be articulated in the following way:
1) Reading and commentary of Kant, Analitica del Sublime.
2) Explanation of the interpretation of Deleuze, with reading of selected passages of the text in the program.
3) Explanation of the interpretation of Lyotard, with reading of selected passages of the text in the program.

Core Documentation

P. D’Angelo, Estetica, Laterza, Roma-Bari.
Estetica, a cura di P. D’Angelo, E. Franzini, G. Scaramuzza, Raffaello Cortina, Milano.
I. Kant, Analitica del sublime, in Critica della facoltà di giudizio (a cura di E. Garroni, H. Hohenegger, Einaudi, Torino, o altra edizione).
G. Deleuze, Lezioni su Kant, Mimesis, Milano.
J.-F. Lyotard, Anima Minima, Pratiche, Parma (testo fuori commercio, fotocopie fornite dalla docente).

Type of delivery of the course

The course includes Lectures; Discussions with students and debates on topics covered. Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended.

Type of evaluation

The evaluation will be carried out by means of an oral test, during which students will be questioned with at least one question for each text.