Tri-Co Philly: Public Art, Historical Preservation and the Ethics of Commemoration

PHIL B234 | Monday, 12:10-3 p.m.
Macalester Bell, Bryn Mawr College

Philadelphia has the largest number of public artworks in the country, and it is also the first city in the nation to require that developers use a portion of their construction project for public art. Philadelphia is also a city of unique historical significance with many historical sites and memorials. In this course, we will take advantage of Philadelphia’s rich history and public art resources as we consider a number of philosophical questions about the nature of public art, political aesthetics, historical preservation, and the ethics of commemoration. Some of the questions we will consider include the following: What is public art? What is public space? What is the role of public art in a democracy? Does the fact that something is historically significant give us a reason to preserve it? Which historically significant things should we preserve and why? What is the moral value of commemorative art?  How should we assess controversies surrounding the removal of art honoring persons or groups we now judge to be morally objectionable? How best should we memorialize victims of injustice?

We will approach the philosophical questions at the heart of this course using contemporary philosophical texts and case studies drawn from the public artwork and historic sites in Philadelphia. We will visit specific sites as well as community organizations devoted to public art and historical preservation. This course will be taught in Philadelphia as part of the Tri-Co Philly Program.