1. Plato on Tragedy:
In Book X of The Republic, Plato argues that the Tragic Poets should be kicked out of the ideal republic. Why does he argue this? In what way is his response dependent upon his theory of the human soul? What is the nature of truth and rationality on Plato's account? Why does he think that Tragic Poetry is morally dangerous?
2. Aristotle's Poetics:
Aristotle's discussion of Tragedy in the Poetics can be read as a response to Plato's conclusion in Book X of The Republic. What is Aristotle's account of Tragedy, and how can it be read as a response to Plato? What is the role of Katharsis (clarification or purgation) in Aristotle's account? What about fear and pity? How does the structure of the play contribute to the telos or goal/function of the play? Does Aristotle succeed in defending Tragedy against Plato's accusations?
3. Schiller's On the Sublime:
In his essay On the Sublime, Schiller discusses the role of the feeling of the sublime in relation to human freedom. What is this freedom? How does the feeling of the sublime contribute to freedom? What role does Tragic Poetry play in this process? How does Schiller's account serve as a response to Plato's conclusion regarding Tragedy in Book X of The Republic? Is Schiller's account, read as a response to Plato, successful?
4. Hume's account of Beauty:
In his essay "The Standard of Taste," Hume presents an empiricist account of the sentiment of beauty. He sets out to make sense of the following two (seemingly contradictory) commonsense statements: 1. Beauty is a subjective sentiment, and 2. Some works of art are more beautiful than others. How does he navigate this? What is inter-subjectivity, and how does it play into his account?
5. Ritual Theory of Art:
What is the Ritual Theory of Art as discussed by Cynthia Freeland? What problem does it seek to make sense of, and in what ways is it successful? Why does it fail as a general theory of art, or does it fail? Consider Freeland's discussion of The Piss Christ in your response.
6. The Artworld:
In Arthur Danto's essay "The Artworld," he argues for a world that serves as a theoretical basis for language about art. This world makes intelligible certain discourse about art. Briefly outline Danto's position including discussion of theory, language, and worlds. Highlight at least one of Danto's examples as a way of clarifying his position. What is the upshot of Danto's view?