Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Socsci Reviewer
Socsci Reviewer
Defining Arts
From time immemorial, man has puzzled over the The word “art” originated from the Latin ars, which
meaning of his existence. “What am I? Why am I what means “skill.” It is equivalent to the Greek techne,
I am? Why am I in this world? Where do I go from from which our modern word “technology” is
here?” These are some of the questions he has sought derived. In the early day, the term was applied not
answers to in an effort to “make sense” out of life’s only to craftsmanship but also to proficiency in
apparent confusion. We learn what it is to be human performing any activity.
by studying humanity. Arts is used to refer to skills and products which are
Humanities are records of man’s quest for answers to primarily intended to delight the senses and produce
the fundamental questions he asks about himself and a satisfying experience of aesthetic value and the
about life. The content of humanities is anything that “beautiful”.
is inherently human- man’s experiences, his values, Aristotle defines art as the right reason for making
his sentiments, his ideals, his goals. things. Now, art is a formal expression of a
The humanities thus provide more than just an considered human experience with a focus on two
appreciation of what is “the true, the good, and the elements: form and substance.
beautiful,” concepts that vary from age to age, from The role of art in human life is to transform man's
country to country. They are aimed to shape the widest metaphysical ideas, by selective reproduction
student’s subjective energies (his feelings, attitudes, of reality, into a physical form—a work of art—that
and aspirations) in accordance with a particular view he can comprehend and to which he can respond
of the social world in which he dreams, acts, and emotionally.
fulfills himself. The view about man and this world
changes and so too the content and direction of the III. Nature of Art
humanities; but in all cases, their principal task
remains the same, which is to make man conscious Nature pertains to the basic or inherent features of
and critical of, sensitive and responsive to the norms something, especially when seen as a characteristic
and hopes of his society. of it. In understanding art, there is a need to come to
terms with the facts that surround it.
The Humanities and the Sciences. Sciences are
studies dealing with the external world of man, as Art is universal.
well as the facts of man’s being that can be subjected Art is found everywhere and in every period of time
to observation, measurement, and experimentation. (past, present, future). It is embedded into the way of
The humanities, on the other hand, deal with man’s life of the people. Art is the true Esperanto, an
internal world- with his personality and experiences, artificial language, the one form of culture that is
matters that cannot be precisely measured, classified, genuinely beyond national limitations. Art knows no
or controlled. barriers; not even language is a barrier to
understanding it.
The Humanities and the Sciences. Sciences are
studies dealing with the external world of man, as Art expresses and communicates.
well as the facts of man’s being that can be subjected No one can contain an intense emotion within
to observation, measurement, and experimentation. himself for long. Art has grown out of man’s need to
The humanities, on the other hand, deal with man’s express himself. Expression in arts, however, is not
internal world- with his personality and experiences, limited to the revelation of emotions alone. The
matters that cannot be precisely measured, classified, personal and social values of the artist and his
or controlled. penetrating psychological insights into human reality
are also covered through the arts. When an artist
produces a poem, a song, a sculpture, or even a chair,
he is actually saying or revealing something artist as he: a) uses his experiences to create art, b)
significant. expresses his experience as he creates the art and c)
The artist uses symbols that he organizes into some experiences gratification as his art is accomplished.
comprehensible equivalent of the experience that he The fourth kind, on the other hand, refers to what an
is trying to convey. If the symbols are understood by audience undergoes when he perceives the work of
his audience, then communication had been art.
established. Sometimes, communication can be
intended and unintended. In experiencing art, a varying combination of
sensory, emotional, and intellectual responses
Art records history and reflects reality and happens. Sensorial experiences involve the senses to
culture. perceive the art but don’t seem to need a deeper
While each work of art is evidently the expression of understanding of the artist’s message. Emotional
an artist’s personal viewpoint, it is at the same time response happens through stimulation of memory,
an expression of a general vision of the age in which recognition of familiar situations, and empathy.
it was created. The artist, belonging to a milieu, Intellectual experience happens when we want to dig
cannot escape the influence of his social, economic, deeper into the art, understand what goes into the
political, religious, scientific, and technological making, and analyze how elements and components
environment. are blended together to create the art.
It reflects society and culture and even has
tendencies to alter values and morals. With art, the Art is not Nature. Nature is not Art.
beliefs, culture, and practices of a community are A work of art is man-made, and although it may
preserved. It is a manifestation of society and a closely resemble nature, it can never duplicate it.
reflection of people’s intricate identities. When it comes to human experience, although artists
draw from actual life situations, they do some
IV. Assumption of Art altering details.
An assumption is a statement that is accepted as true Art is only used to improve nature.
or as certain to happen without proof. Many
assumptions have been written about arts, but here V. Function of Art
are three that pretty much sums up everything.
All arts have a function, for man, the maker, creates
Art is subjective. things because he has a particular need for them.
Art cannot be measured by its significance or the Here are the three functions of art for people.
level of skill with which it is created. What is
considered “good” art varies among individuals, Personal function.
cultures, generations, and even in the stages of a Art serves as an expression for individuals. Whether
person’s lifetime. Preferences are influenced by a lot it is from the perspective of the artist or the audience,
of factors that may be related to social involvement, art can be therapeutic, entertaining, cathartic,
education and training, past experiences, or some comforting, or educating.
psychological and emotional associations.
A thing of beauty is one that gives us pleasure when Social functions.
we perceive it. However, beauty is in the eye of the Influencing Social Behaviors. Many works of art
beholder; thus, there is not one set of criteria that influence the way we think, feel or act. Some arts
applies. Nevertheless, the beauty in art is the result of have been used to express humanitarian concern as
the successful organization of lines, color, shapes, well as ideological or political comments. Yet, they
and spaces in order to convey an idea or emotion. have done tremendous mindset changes to society.
Commercial and advertising art also influence
Art involves experience. customer decisions very much.
There are four kinds of experience involved in the
artistic activity. The first three focused solely on the
Display and Celebration. They serve to record satisfying organization of their sensuous and
important historical events or reveal the ideals of expressive elements. They evoke certain
heroism and leadership that the community would emotional responses. Some artists focused on
want the young to emulate. Public celebrations, such art as an object, an exciting combination of
as festivals, involve rituals of some kind, and these, in shapes and colors.
turn, employ the arts. 2.Ways of Representing Subject