Q&A 11 Hamilton, Chapters 6-7

1. Read: Hamilton, Chapters 6-7.

2. Q: How and why does Hamilton defend the "aesthetics of imperfection?"

3. Write 2 questions of your own.

Q&A #10 Hamilton: chapters 2-3

1. Read Hamilton, Chapters 2 & 3.

2. What, in your view, is the best interpretation of form and content in music?

3. Write 2 questions of your own.

Q&A #9: Hamilton, Intro and Ch. 1

1. Read: Hamilton, Introduction and Chapter 1.

2. Q: On what basis does Hamilton condemn the ancient Greek understanding of music as too "abstract" and "rationalistic"?

3. Write 2 questions of your own.

Q&A #8: Overview of the Philosophy of Music

1. Begin reading Hamilton.

2. Read the SEP entry on the Philosophy of Music.

3. Question: What are some of the problems and prospects of defining music simply as "organized sound"? 

4. Write 2 questions of your own.

Q&A #7 Dutton: Chapters 8-10, cont. & Reviews

1. Continue reading Dutton, chapters 8-10.  Read also any one of the many reviews of Dutton's book available online (see, for example, those listed in the margin of this blog).

2. Q: Comment critically on the review you have chosen.

Assignment #7 Dutton: Chapters 8-10

1. Read: Dutton, Chapters 8-10.

Q&A #6 Dutton: Chapter 7

1. Read: Dutton, Chapter 7

2. Q: How does "adding sexual selection to natural selection" -- seeing the mind as a "sexual ornament" -- shed light on the origins of artistry? (p. 152).

3. Raise 2 questions of your own.

Q&A #5 Dutton: chapters 5-6

Read: Dutton, chapters 5-6.

Q: How is fiction related to human instinctual activity?

Write 2 questions of your own.

Q&A #4 Dutton: chapter 4

1. Read chapter 4.

2. Q: Could there be radically distinct concepts of art?

3. Write two questions of your own.

Note: This Q&A is due Wednesday.  There will be no class on Friday, October 4.

Q&A #3 Dutton: Chapters 2-3

1. Read: Dutton, chapters 2-3.

2. Question: To what extent do the universal features of human nature give rise to/explain/determine/shape (you choose the most appropriate verb) the cross-cultural invariants of art?

3. Write 2 questions of your own.

Q&A #2 Dutton: Chapter 1

1. Read: Dutton; Introduction and Chapter 1.

2. Question: Dutton closes Chapter 1 with this statement: "We are what we are today because our primordial ancestors followed paths and riverbanks over the horizon" (p. 28).  What are the implications for our appreciation (or lack thereof) of landscape art today?

3. Write 2 questions of your own.

Q&A #1

1. Read: "Aesthetics," from the IEP.

2. Question: In what sense, if any, is "disinterestedness" important to aesthetics?

3. Write 2 questions of your own.