Philosophy and Literature Network

The seminar will consist of reading and discussion of the most influent texts about art written by Arthur C. Danto. The main objective will be to follow the central claim of his philosophy of art, as made known in his most famous book, The Transfiguration of Commonplace, a claim that results from the attempt of answering to what is, in Danto’s opinion, the essential question to which any philosophy of art should give an answer: what is that distinguishes a work of art from a mere real object? Each session will focus on one or more main texts, although optional readings, depending on the possibilities and interests of each participant, can also come into discussion. All texts will be made available to the participants.

All questions should be addressed to nunoamado@campus.ul.pt.

Wednesdays at 5pm, every other week.
FCSH U. Nova de Lisboa, I&D Building, 
Room will be displayed in the lobby of I&D Building 

Session 1, March 16:  Works of Art and Mere Real Things 

• DANTO, A., “Works of Art and Mere Real Things”, The Transfiguration of Commonplace, pp.1-32
• DANTO, A., “Art and Disturbation”, The Philosophical Disenfranchisement of Art, pp.117-133
• FRIED, M., “Art and Objecthood” (Optional)

Session2, March 30: Content, causality, and sense

• DANTO, A., “Content and Causation”, The Transfiguration of Commonplace, pp.33-53
• DANTO, A., “Philosophy and Art”, The Transfiguration of Commonplace, pp.54-89
• FREGE, G., “On Sense and Reference” (Optional)

Session 3, April 13: Aesthetics, appreciation, interpretation, identification 

• DANTO, A., “Aesthetics and the Work of Art”, The Transfiguration of Commonplace, pp.90-114
• DANTO, A., “The Appreciation and Interpretation of Works of Art”, The Philosophical Disenfranchisement of Art, pp.23-46
• DANTO, A., “Interpretation and Identification”, The Transfiguration of Commonplace, pp.115-135
• DANTO, A., “Deep Interpretation”, The Philosophical Disenfranchisement of Art, pp.47-67 (Opcional)
• DANTO, A., “The Art World Revisited: Comedies of Similarity”, Beyond the Brillo Box ,pp.33-53 (Opcional)

Session 4, May 11: Representation, Expression and Referentiality 

• DANTO, A., “Works of Art and Mere Representations”, The Transfiguration of Commonplace, pp.136-164
• DANTO, A., “Philosophy as/and/of Literature”, The Philosophical Disenfranchisement of Art, pp.135-161.
• DANTO, A., “Symbolic Expressions and the Self”, Beyond the Brillo Box, pp. 55-71
• FLAUBERT, G., Carta a Louise Coulet (Optional)

Session 5, May 25:  Metaphor and Style 

• DANTO, A., “Metaphor, Expression, and Style”, The Transfiguration of Commonplace, pp.165-208.
• DANTO, A., “Metaphor and Cognition”, Beyond the Brillo Box, pp.73-87
• DAVIDSON, D., “What Metaphors Mean”, Inquiries into Truth & Interpretation, pp. 245-264 (Opcional)

Session 6, June 8: The End of Art 

• DANTO, A., “The Philosophical Disenfranchisement of Art”, The Philosophical Disenfranchisement of Art, pp.1-21
• DANTO, A., “The End of Art”, The Philosophical Disenfranchisement of Art, pp.81-115
• DANTO, A., “Hegel’s End-of-Art Thesis” (Optional) 
• CARROLL, N., “The End of Art?” (Optional)

Session 7, June 22:  Art after its End

• DANTO, A., “Master Narratives and Critical Principles”, After the End of Art, pp.41-58
• DANTO, A., “Modernism and the Critique of Pure Art: the Historical Vision of Clement Greenberg”, After the End of Art, pp.61-78
• DANTO, A. “Painting and the Pale of History: The Passing of the Pure”, After the End of Art, pp.101-115.
• DANTO, A., “Learning to Live with Pluralism”, Beyond the Brillo Box, pp.217-231 (Optional)
• GREENBERG, C., “Modernist Painting” (Optional)