Fall 2024: 5 weeks (September 20 – October 19)
Subject: PHIL (Philosophy)
Course Level: 100
Number of Credits: 1 U.S. / 2 ECTS
Max Enrollment: 22
Schedule: 5 weeks (September 20 – October 19), Wed Thurs 14:50 – 16:10 CET (Berlin) | 8:50 – 10:10 EDT (New York)
Language of Instruction: Russian
Course Prerequisites: Russian B2 / Equivalent or higher

The goal of the course is to introduce students to the history of aesthetic doctrines as well as the basic categories through which classical philosophy attempted to frame results of human

creativity. Additionally, we will be exploring a whole array of problems of contemporary aesthetics in order to demonstrate that it is no longer an abstract discipline focused only on the study of beauty. Perhaps more than any other area of philosophy, aesthetics addresses the phenomena of modern life: movies, photography, architecture, and the cutting-edge media. At the same time, like contemporary art itself, philosophy of art exhibits a great deal of political sensitivity. The course will aim to help students overcome certain prejudices against contemporary art – the medium with its own set of problems – and start treating it as a response to the historical events of the twentieth century. 

Guidelines for the Statement of Purpose:

Craft a reflective statement of purpose explaining your interest in the Smolny Beyond Borders online course. The file should be saved with your name and course title as the filename and uploaded accordingly. Your statement’s clarity and substance will significantly influence our selection. Convey your motivations and aspirations for this course succinctly but thoroughly. Kindly write your statement in the course’s Language of Instruction.

Application Portal Instructions:
1) Use the Latin alphabet for all entries on the portal, including your name. If the Language of Instruction is Russian, you may use Cyrillic only within the Statement of Purpose file, and the title of the file should still be in English.
2) Refrain from using email addresses associated with Russian or Belarusian educational institutions.
3) While completing the “Required Information” section, ensure you fill in the “Province” field for your address.
4) Provide an address outside Russia or Belarus in both the “Required Information” and “Geographic Location Confirmation” sections of the “Online Course Application”. This ensures we can send your transcript.
5) You must press the “Sign” button twice during the application.
6) If you hold a bachelor’s degree, select “4th+” in the “Academic Year (online)” section.
7) Applicants either unaffiliated or affiliated with educational institutions in Russia and Belarus should list ‘Smolny Beyond Borders’ as their educational institution.
8) In the student ID section, enter ‘SBB’.
9) Consider drafting your motivation letter ahead of time. Save it as a separate file with this format: LastName_FirstName_CourseTitle for a smoother application process.