Art: The Aesthetic Experience

This course is designed to introduce the student to the issue of the relationship of the sciences and the arts in a way that brings balance (Gadamer) to the ability to find truth through both.  We will then survey music, dance, and the visual arts (especially painting and architecture), identifying the common elements of all 9 civilizations, examining how the arts shaped and continue to shape each civilization. The course will conclude with a personal strategy for growing in appreciation for the arts in one’s own culture.  Literature is a form of art, and it is dealt with by many readings in The Harvard Classics reading program integrated into the course.   The specific objectives are:

• To understand the history of the arts and its power in culture
• To understand the power of the art in everyday life and on the mind
• To motivate future personal interest in the arts
• To spark interest in learning to use the arts in your lifework
• To sketch a future course for appreciation of the arts