Art and its Cognitive Value
Art moves us! Not because of Art itself but because of the maker of the art. As Clive Bell says, the significant form of art conveys to us an emotion felt by its creator. This is our general perception of art. Art is mostly about emotion, and conveys to us an emotion. Socrates was allegedly known as the one who clearly cut the cognitive aspect out of art, as he says that albeit drama and poetry might excited us and move our emotion, what it provokes is irrational. hence, Socrates conclude that drama and poetry are irrational. They are corrupting rather than constructing. However, In her book Aesthetic and Morality, Elizabeth Schllekens exposes the other side of an art, the cognitive. Art is not merely emotive but also cognitive in nature, not only it arouse emotion but also our intellect as well. The idea of Schellekens thesis is not new, for the concept has been rooted long in Aristotle. According to Aristotle poetry is not irrational but rational, because poetry contain representation things of the world. Not just it represent the world as it is, it sees truth behind what meet the eyes.
The reasoning of Art is rational can be traced from the making of art itself. Every work of art is deliberately make not as an expression of artist's emotion but there is an element of techne, in which Aristotle describes as "capacity to make, involving a true course of reasoning" (Nicomachean Ethics 6.4 [1140a10-11]). If art is the result of human, which is rationale. The output will never purely aesthetic but also cognitive. The making of art is always an intelligence act, not merely an emotional act of a person. Moreover, art is never an expression of artist's feeling alone but it often used as a vehicle or medium, on which truth can be deliberated. James Joyce says, "art is true to itself when it deals with truth". For instance, in Christian tradition particularly Eastern Tradition, art has been widely used to convey God's word and spiritual truth, used for devotion or education. Nevertheless, most of the time, word fall short to explain the truth of God but with the help of art (which is a gift from God), something that is understandable will be grasped easier, even at a glance. As the famous maxim echoes, a picture is worth of thousand words. The truth of God conveyed through art not can just moves our emotion, but could also inspire people's mind to reflect, and lead them to action or a moment of decision. Eastern icon help people to concentrate more in prayer and the icon also stand as reminders of pivotal event in salvation history. It moves people to pray not with only closed eyes but open eyes (Thomas Merton mystically expresses the event of praying with icon with an eyes open as the face to face meeting with God). In conclusion. From the process of making of art and also the function of art as the vehicle of truth we can see that actually art is rational, and has a cognitive values embedded. For practical implication surely, art is not the consumption of artist or of romantics, but also philosopher and theologian alike as Ivanov best described art in one word, art as "moving"; and of course yes, it moves both our emotion and intellect!
Art moves us! Not because of Art itself but because of the maker of the art. As Clive Bell says, the significant form of art conveys to us an emotion felt by its creator. This is our general perception of art. Art is mostly about emotion, and conveys to us an emotion. Socrates was allegedly known as the one who clearly cut the cognitive aspect out of art, as he says that albeit drama and poetry might excited us and move our emotion, what it provokes is irrational. hence, Socrates conclude that drama and poetry are irrational. They are corrupting rather than constructing. However, In her book Aesthetic and Morality, Elizabeth Schllekens exposes the other side of an art, the cognitive. Art is not merely emotive but also cognitive in nature, not only it arouse emotion but also our intellect as well. The idea of Schellekens thesis is not new, for the concept has been rooted long in Aristotle. According to Aristotle poetry is not irrational but rational, because poetry contain representation things of the world. Not just it represent the world as it is, it sees truth behind what meet the eyes.
The reasoning of Art is rational can be traced from the making of art itself. Every work of art is deliberately make not as an expression of artist's emotion but there is an element of techne, in which Aristotle describes as "capacity to make, involving a true course of reasoning" (Nicomachean Ethics 6.4 [1140a10-11]). If art is the result of human, which is rationale. The output will never purely aesthetic but also cognitive. The making of art is always an intelligence act, not merely an emotional act of a person. Moreover, art is never an expression of artist's feeling alone but it often used as a vehicle or medium, on which truth can be deliberated. James Joyce says, "art is true to itself when it deals with truth". For instance, in Christian tradition particularly Eastern Tradition, art has been widely used to convey God's word and spiritual truth, used for devotion or education. Nevertheless, most of the time, word fall short to explain the truth of God but with the help of art (which is a gift from God), something that is understandable will be grasped easier, even at a glance. As the famous maxim echoes, a picture is worth of thousand words. The truth of God conveyed through art not can just moves our emotion, but could also inspire people's mind to reflect, and lead them to action or a moment of decision. Eastern icon help people to concentrate more in prayer and the icon also stand as reminders of pivotal event in salvation history. It moves people to pray not with only closed eyes but open eyes (Thomas Merton mystically expresses the event of praying with icon with an eyes open as the face to face meeting with God). In conclusion. From the process of making of art and also the function of art as the vehicle of truth we can see that actually art is rational, and has a cognitive values embedded. For practical implication surely, art is not the consumption of artist or of romantics, but also philosopher and theologian alike as Ivanov best described art in one word, art as "moving"; and of course yes, it moves both our emotion and intellect!
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