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Philosophy of Image

Code: 108443
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Philosophy OP 3

Contact lecturer

Name :
Andrea Soto Calderon
Email :
andrea.soto@uab.cat

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites to take this course, although it is recommended to have taken the course of Aesthetics.

Objectives

In the history of Western thought, images have been considered a degraded form of knowledge, a copy or simulacrum that must be superseded in favor of the concept. From Plato to Sartre, the problem of the image for philosophy is inextricably linked to an ontology of being and essence. However, this perspective proves insufficient for understanding the complexity of the visual and sensory practices that shape our present. As Jean-François Lyotard pointed out, "from its origins, our culture has profoundly obstructed the sensitivity to plastic space" (Jean-François Lyotard, 1971). In a context characterized by the proliferation and intensive circulation of images, these have acquired a decisive role in shaping experience, perception, and the production of meaning. This scenario demands the development of conceptual tools capable of critically engaging with images beyond the traditional frameworks of representation.


This course proposes a philosophical approach to images from the perspective of their performative power and their capacity to open up new fields of experience and thought. Rather than establishing an opposition between image and language, or privileging a purely formal or figurative dimension, it seeks to explore the relationships, tensions, and interstices in which images produce meaning, affect modes of attention, and create other forms of sensibility. Through the analysis of pictorial, photographic, audiovisual, and cinematographic practices, the course will address the poiesis of images, understood as a productive force capable of generating new forms of appearance, imagination, and thought.


Thus, this course aims to introduce a philosophical reflection on the present, enabling students to understand and think philosophically not only through traditional written discourse, but also through other media and forms within an operational field, while still creating philosophical concepts through images.

Learning outcomes

  • CM26 (Develop a critical and interdisciplinary understanding of aesthetic discourses and their manifestations in the arts and in contemporary visual culture.) Develop a critical and interdisciplinary understanding of aesthetic discourses and their manifestations in the arts and in contemporary visual culture.
  • CM27 (Participate in philosophical debates about art, aesthetics, and visual media, integrating diverse perspectives that include marginalised discursive positions with a reflective, creative, and argumentative attitude.) Participate in philosophical debates about art, aesthetics, and visual media, integrating diverse perspectives that include marginalised discursive positions with a reflective, creative, and argumentative attitude.
  • CM28 (Devise a reflective study on the role of art in society, recognising its transformative, expressive and epistemic potential.) Devise a reflective study on the role of art in society, recognising its transformative, expressive and epistemic potential.
  • KM29 (Relate the theoretical frameworks that allow for a critical analysis of art, image, cinema and other visual practices from a philosophical perspective.) Relate the theoretical frameworks that allow for a critical analysis of art, image, cinema and other visual practices from a philosophical perspective.
  • KM30 (Identify the main concepts, categories and problems of aesthetics and philosophy of art, both in their historical development and in their contemporary projections.) Identify the main concepts, categories and problems of aesthetics and philosophy of art, both in their historical development and in their contemporary projections.
  • KM31 (Recognise the role of aesthetics in shaping forms of sensibility, subjectivity, and relationship with the political, the bodily, and the symbolic, considering how gender stereotypes and colonial legacy have influenced the production, interpretation, and valuation of works of art. .) Recognise the role of aesthetics in shaping forms of sensibility, subjectivity, and relationship with the political, the bodily, and the symbolic, considering how gender stereotypes and colonial legacy have influenced the production, interpretation, and valuation of works of art. .
  • KM47 (Accurately describe the artistic object with the language of art criticism.) Accurately describe the artistic object with the language of art criticism.
  • SM30 (Relate philosophical discourses and cultural productions, recognising their ethical, social, and political implications.) Relate philosophical discourses and cultural productions, recognising their ethical, social, and political implications.
  • SM31 (Interpret philosophical texts and artistic works with conceptual precision, attention to context and critical sensitivity.) Interpret philosophical texts and artistic works with conceptual precision, attention to context and critical sensitivity.
  • SM32 (Develop solid and original arguments on aesthetic issues, both in written works and in oral presentations.) Develop solid and original arguments on aesthetic issues, both in written works and in oral presentations.

Contents

Topic 1. Crisis of Representation

Topic 2. Iconic-Pictorial Turn

Topic 3. The Power of Images

Topic 4. Coloniality of Seeing

Topic 5. Indisciplines of the Gaze


You will find the references on the Virtual Campus on the first day of classes.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Classes, seminars, tutorials in small groups and individually 60 2.4 CM26, CM27, CM28, KM29, KM30, KM31, KM47, SM30, SM31, SM32
Individual and group readings, creation of concept diagrams, guided viewings 45 1.8 CM26, CM27, KM30, KM31
Viewing, image analysis, text reading 33 1.32 KM29, KM30, KM47, SM30, SM31

The teaching methodology will combine lectures and seminars, utilizing texts, visual materials, and audiovisual resources. As preparation for the seminars, students will work with a flipped classroom model: they must read the assigned texts for each topic weekly, as well as view the indicated images, which will then be discussed in small groups, and the analyses will be presented in a plenary session. The course requires a commitment to individual readings and viewing of audiovisual materials, which will form the basis of the group work. Similarly, situated learning will be emphasized; therefore, the perspective of thinking through diverse imagery practices is very important.


Students will also have access to individual tutorials in which they can receive support in developing their assignments or address specific questions related to their own research.


Note: 15 minutes of a class within the schedule established by the center or by the degree will be reserved for students to complete the surveys evaluating the performance of the teaching staff and the evaluation of the subject or module.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Video essay 33 6 0.24 KM29, KM30, KM31, SM31, SM32
Exam 34 3 0.12 CM26, CM28, KM30, SM30, SM31
philosophical analysis of images 33 3 0.12 CM27, KM29, KM31, KM47, SM30, SM31

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT


This will consist of:

a) A three-question exam to be administered in class based on the texts and images previously analyzed in class (34%) (Individual).


b) A philosophical analysis of a selection of images provided by the professor on the day of the assessment in class. This analysis must be handwritten (33%) (Individual).


c) The creation of an 8-minute video essay, in which an audiovisual reflection is developed, showcasing an unconventional perspective based on the understanding acquired throughout the course, especially in content areas 4 and 5 (33%) (Individual or in pairs).

The exact submission dates will be announced during the first few days of class to allow for coordination with other courses in the Department. The assessment rubric will be provided well in advance when specific instructions for each assessable activity are given.


This subject does not include the single assessment system


RECOVERY

Students who have failed one, two, or all three tests may take a retake and recover the failed test(s). To be eligible for retake, students must have taken at least two of the three tests and have a minimum grade of 3.5.

If a student has not taken any of the tests, or has only taken one, they will be considered "not assessable."

All three tests must be passed to pass the course. The final grade will be the average of the three tests.

If a student commits any irregularity that could lead to a significant change in the grade for an assessment, that assessment will be graded as 0, regardless of any learning process that may have been implemented. If several irregularities occur in the assessments for the same course, the final grade for that course will be 0.


USE OF AI

Restricted Use: In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support activities, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction, or translations. Students must clearly identify which parts were generated using this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced the process and the final result of the activity. Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in this assessable activity will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in a partial or full penalty on the activity grade, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.

Bibliography

The bibliography will be uploaded in the Virtual Campus the day the course begins.

Software

No especific software is needed.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed