Aesthetics and Aestheticism

This course examines the English literary movement of Aestheticism in the broader context of the history of European aesthetics. The first part of the course explores the relationship between the concepts of "beauty" and "art" in the history of aesthetics, showing how by the nineteenth century the idea of an "aesthetic space" had taken root in European philosophy and literature. The second part will delve into the major (and some minor) works of English Aestheticism proper, exploring the formal characteristics of these literary works and exploring some of their contexts and philosophical concerns.