Thursdays from 7/30-8/27
A five-week discussion course on five paradoxes at the heart of how we experience art, and why none of them have easy answers.
What you’ll do
Why do we love art that makes us miserable? Why does it matter that a painting is the real one? How can instrumental music sound sad? Why do we call a thunderstorm beautiful? And when you say a film is great, are you saying something true or just reporting what you happen to like? Each week, you’ll work through one of these paradoxes, discussing the strongest cases on each side and bringing your own examples into the room.
What you’ll learn
Why tragedy can be pleasurable in art
Why originality and forgery matter so much to us
How music can seem expressive without words
Why overwhelming or terrifying things can still feel beautiful
What we are doing when we make judgments of taste
Great for: Anyone curious about how art works on us and why. No background in philosophy needed.
Instructor: Phil Mack holds a PhD in philosophy and has over ten years of experience teaching at UW–Madison, Marquette University, and UW–Milwaukee. He makes big ideas accessible through conversation, not academic jargon, and is building a public philosophy practice in the Madison area.
Schedule
This is one class held over five dates. Registration includes all five sessions.
Session 1: Thursday, July 30, 6:30–8:00 PM
Session 2: Thursday, August 6, 6:30–8:00 PM
Session 3: Thursday, August 13, 6:30–8:00 PM
Session 4: Thursday, August 20, 6:30–8:00 PM
Session 5: Thursday, August 27, 6:30–8:00 PM
Cost: $138
What to bring: Just yourself. Handouts will be provided in class. No outside work required.