Formal Analysis Lectures

Lectures on Formal Analysis by M Twist

Lecture 1: 
The position taken is that artworks are self-intelligible wholes in contrast to other possible philosophical positions, namely context understood as a historical epoch, as an immediate antecedent events(immediate cause) and as a subjective experience of the reader. 

Lecture delivered on February 7th, 2014.


Lecture 1: M Twist on self-intelligible wholes

Lecture 2:

We are taking the position that works of art are self-intelligible wholes. Now, we are contrasting that position to other positions taken by people who believe the intelligibility of the work lies in the historical epoch, or people who regard the work as a cause of effects and look for intelligibility in the causes and people who make subjective interpretations.

Lecture delivered on February 14th, 2014.

Lecture 2: M Twist on the contrast between methods

Lecture 3:

An examination of the idea that art imitates nature. 

Lecture delivered on February 21st, 2014.

Lecture 3: M Twist on the idea that art imitates nature

Lecture 4:

The idea underlying Formal Analysis is not an idea you hear in any other kind of philosophical approach to the arts.

Just to remind you: 
We were talking that art is an imitation of nature. We came up with the idea that if art is an imitation of changeless models then beauty is truth. If art is a cause of effects, that is to say, an imitation of natural causes, then the effect you want to bring about is pleasure, then beauty is pleasure. If art is a set of conventions, then beauty is conventional; socially constructed. Where do you get the conventions from? You get them from successful artists. 

If that’s what Beauty is, the question is who’s the audience?

Lecture delivered on March 14th, 2014.

Lecture 4: M Twist on the underlying idea of Formal Analysis

The meaning of criticism varies from one view of the arts to another. 

M Twist discuss moral criticism, technical criticism, reviewing and criticism as a learning. 

Lecture delivered on March 21st, 2014.

Lecture 5: M Twist on the development of criticism

M Twist explains how the expression theory of art is coherent with this theory of formal analysis through the ideas of philosopher R. G. Collingwood. 

Lecture delivered on May 2nd, 2014.

Lecture 8: M Twist on how the theory of Formal Analysis is compatible to the Expression theory

M Twist