This seminar explores how different philosophical frameworks enable (or in some cases disable) certain kinds of art historical inquiries. We might look at various kinds of philosophical systems which have been taken up by art historians or have obvious relevance for them: traditional idealism (Kant and Hegel); Nietzsche’s theory of transvaluation; Cassirer’s philosophy of symbolic forms; Wittgenstein’s account of aspect perception; Goodman’s philosophy of “symbol systems”; Danto’s theory of the “art world” and “after the end of art”; Levinson’s model of the “essential historically of art”; and other possibilities. This is a practicum seminar: students will build individual or group research projects reflecting their own interests and skills, to be presented to the entire group at the end of the semester.

This course fulfills the following Major requirements: Geographical area (E) and Chronological period (I), (II), or (III), based on the topic of the final research paper or project.