Exam 10: Beauty

The crucifixion scenes in medieval art were intended to be accurate representations of Jesus on the cross.

The philosopher who claimed that the appreciation of beauty "frees us from the penal servitude of willing" was

Write a fictional argumentative dialogue between two people discussing the meaning and value of art. The dialogue should deal with the following issues: beauty and reality or truth; beauty and taste; censorship; and the ethics and educational value of art (how art does affect us and how it should affect us, morally speaking).    The two people should feel free to share their experiences with art, formal and popular. They should draw on resources in the chapter and include brief quotations, where possible, from the major philosophers who have weighed in on these issues.

Nietzsche argues that great art exclusively manifests a Dionysian openness to chaos.

Contrast Nietzsche's concepts of Apollonian and Dionysian art.

The question "Is it true that Doctor Watson was Holmes's best friend?" is paradoxical because

Kant would argue that a person who observes a Cezanne painting of a bowl of fruit, and then decides that buying it would be an excellent investment, is making an aesthetic judgment.

According to Aristotle, what made Oedipus Rex and Medea great works of art was that

Suppose a group of educated judges agree that a given work of art is excellent. In that case, according to Hume,

Plato and Aristotle disagree about whether poetry and theater promote or purify us of painful and disturbing emotions, such as fear and pity.

Modern advertising is loaded with aesthetic values and assumptions.

Should art ever be banned or censored if its content and/or effects on audiences are deemed seriously offensive or harmful?   Begin by exploring the arguments for banning or censoring art. One place to start would be Plato's argument in The Republic , but you are not limited to this perspective.   You should consider what kinds of effects art would produce on people that could plausibly, or not plausibly, be construed as offensive or harmful.   Why would these serious effects require that "bad" art be censored or banned? After exploring this viewpoint, develop a counterargument against banning and censorship.   This argument should address the issue of whether even obviously offensive and harmful art should be permitted and why. What makes the production, display, and appreciation of "bad" art permissible, despite its being bad?   Throughout, focus on specific forms of art, such as paintings, plays, movies, and music.

Wild and crazy dance music, according to Nietzsche, would be an example of

David Hume argues that an artwork is valuable if it