Course Schedule and Readings
We will be discussing specific works of art in conjunction with the readings—these works will be referred to and/or posted on your course blog so check the blog frequently for the art due that day.
August 25 Banning and Censoring Art
August 27 What is Art? Is Art Speech?
Kelefa Sanneh, “The Hell You Say” (on canvas)
September 1 Plato, The Republic, Book X
September 3 Plato; Aristotle Poetics, Chs 1-15
ART Dangerous Dancing and Riotous Music
September 8 Aristotle, Poetics, Chs 1-15
ART Banned from Constitution Hall
September 10 Bell, “The Aesthetic Hypothesis”
September 15 Tolstoy, “What is Art?”
September 17 David van Mill, “Freedom of Speech” (on Canvas)
Review the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR)
September 22 Academic Advising Session (bring your laptop or tablet to class)
September 24 Milton, Areopagitica (on Canvas); ALA Banned Books Week
ART Dangerous and Banned Poets
September 29-Oct 1 Banned Books Week: Oral presentations on banned books
ART Banned and Challenged Books
October 6 Collingwood, The Principles of Art, Ch 7
Review for Midterm Exam
First Short Paper Due
October 8 Midterm Exam
October 15 Dewey, Art as Experience, Chs 1-2
October 20 Schiller, On the Aesthetic Education of Man, Letters 26-27
October 22 Academic Advising Session (bring your laptop or tablet to class)
October 27 Mo Tzu, “Against Music”
Hsun Tzu, “A Discussion of Music”
October 29 Oral presentations on banned music
November 3 Geertz, “Art as a Cultural System” (also available on canvas)
Second short paper due
November 5 Hume, Of the Standard of Taste
November 10 Shih-t’ao, “Quotes on Painting”
November 12 Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association (2010)
Supreme Court Case involving censorship of video games
Read the decisions and listen to the oral arguments:
http://www.oyez.org/cases/2010-2019/2010/2010_08_1448
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/08-1448.ZO.html
November 17 Group Presentation: Public Funding of the Arts
Read: Comments on Andres Serrano by Members of the United States
Senate, Congressional Record, May 18, 1989.
Consider some examples from Art on Trial
November 19 Group Presentation: Arts and Public Education
“Americans for the Arts” and the “Why the Arts Matter” videos
November 24 Group Presentation: Film, TV, Music, Video Ratings
Review: Motion Picture Association Film Ratings; Music/Recording Industry of America Parental Advisory Resources
December 1 Oral presentations on banned visual art
December 3 Review for Final Exam
Third Short Paper due
December 8 Final Exam 12:00-2:30pm (note the final exam begins earlier than class time)
