Philosophical, Aesthetic, and Historical Interpretation

A sophisticated capacity for interpretation is a necessary condition for understanding the world and one’s being in the world.

Interpretation is a primary way of finding and creating meaning in our lives, and of apprehending the complexities and wonder of being human. Exploring the knowledge and ways of thinking associated with philosophical, aesthetic, and historical interpretation develops critical consciousness, and builds essential foundations for ethical and responsible action. These outcomes foster familiarity with notable texts, creative works, methods of interpretation, and an awareness of diverse ways of knowing and living in the world. They promote critical inquiry, imaginative thinking, and historical consciousness as lifelong paths to understanding and taking account of views, cultures, and personal experiences different from one’s own.

Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings

Philosophical inquiry asks such questions as: What can I know? What should I do? What may I hope for?

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By learning how to pose such questions critically, all BU students will learn how to investigate and think for themselves about their place in nature and history, as well as their responsibilities to one another, to themselves, and to the Earth. Philosophical inquiry complements other interpretations of life’s meanings, including those found in diverse religious, historical, cultural, and scientific traditions.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of notable works in philosophical thought, make meaningful connections among them, and be able to relate those works to their own lives and those of others.
2. Students will demonstrate the reasoning skills and possess the vocabulary to reflect upon significant philosophical questions and topics such as what constitutes a good life, right action, meaningful activity, knowledge, truth, or a just society.

Aesthetic Exploration

Through words, images, sounds, and built environments, literature and the arts explore complex human feeling and thought in a search to discover, create, and express meaning.

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Experience of the arts offers deep communion with other minds and hearts across time and across cultures, brings beauty into our lives and enlivens us to its varieties, and opens the senses to the perceptual world. Aesthetic interpretation is the ability when met by a painting (or a poem, a song, a film, a play, a building, or a web game, for example) to analyze how it works and to reflect upon its meanings. Interpretation deepens experience of the arts and the ability to learn from their wisdom. Exploration of literature and the arts through the Hub may foster involvement in Boston’s vibrant arts communities, a distinct advantage of a BU education.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of notable works in literature and/or the arts, including the cultural contexts in which those works were created, and be able to identify their ongoing significance and relevance.
2. Students will demonstrate the reasoning skills and vocabulary necessary to interpret a work of art (literature, music, visual arts, etc.).
3. Students will produce evaluative, analytical, or creative works that demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics—such as genres, modes, styles, and cultural history—of at least one literary or artistic medium.

Historical Consciousness

Whether deciding which business strategy to adopt for the next quarter, which candidate to favor in the next election, or how to lead our personal lives, we all interpret the evidence of the past and craft historical narratives.

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In crafting historical narratives, we select significant events from a broad universe of evidence, make arguments about cause and effect, and recognize how previous decisions and their consequences shape the options before us. History asks us to think not just across time, but also across disciplines and across geographic spaces. History creates a sense of connection, rootedness—participation in an ongoing conversation among and between generations. Above all else, historical consciousness gives us the power to imagine worlds different from our own, to evaluate them, and thus to imagine how to live differently and better.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will create historical narratives, evaluate interpretations based on historical evidence, and construct historical arguments.
2. Students will demonstrate an ability to interpret primary source material (textual, visual, or aural) using a range of interpretive skills and situating the material in its historical and cultural context.
3. Students will demonstrate knowledge of religious traditions, intellectual paradigms, forms of political organization, or socioeconomic forces, and how these have changed over time.