PHIL 156: What Is Art?

PHIL 156-006: What is Art?
(Fall 2025)

03:00 PM to 04:15 PM TR

Horizon Hall 4010

Section Information for Fall 2025

This course explores the changing relationship between art and society in western culture over the last 2500 years. We will investigate questions such as: is artistic activity truly creative, or does it simply imitate other aspects of human life? What, if anything, is beauty, and how does its definition relate to concurrent social norms and practices? What impact does art have on its audience, and how does this affect their capacity for participation in a broader community? And most importantly, as a citizen of the contemporary world, how do I myself interact with art, and what does this imply about my own thinking, beliefs, and actions?


We will divide our investigation into multiple artistic genres, such as painting, photography, music, dance, fashion, and cinema. Students will produce a variety of written and spoken deliverables, both individually and
in small groups, with multiple opportunities for feedback and revision. By the end of the course, students will have assembled an intellectual toolbox for interrogating contemporary cultural production in a way that both
aligns with and challenges their own beliefs and viewpoints.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Introduction to philosophical reflection on the arts by looking at the critical issues in the history of aesthetics. Applies considerations to specific works and explores these works in terms of their historical contexts and influences. Concentrates on one form of art or one period and always emphasizes questions of critical evaluation and art historical analysis. Offered by Philosophy. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Mason Core, Arts
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

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