FUNCTIONS & PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ART

LESSON 3
OBJECTIVES:
• Distinguish between directly functional and indirectly functional art;
• Explain and discuss the basic philosophical perspectives on the art;
• Realize the function of some art forms in daily life; and
• Apply concepts and theories on beauty and aesthetics in real life scenarios.
INTRODUCTION
 “telos” – man’s end; purpose; fulfilled function
 “eudaimonia” – to achieve a life of fulfillment and happiness.
 According to Aristotle,
For a thing to reach its purpose, it also has to fulfill its function.
Man is bound to achieve a life of fulfillment and happiness.
However, happiness, the supposed end of man is linked with his function, which is
being rational.
Man’s natural end, “telos”, is connected with his function, which is his rationality.
FUNCTIONS OF ART
What is it for?
CLASSIFIED INTO THREE:
A. PERSONAL
B. SOCIAL
C. PHYSICAL
PERSONAL
• Self-expression
• Entertainment
• Therapeutic
SOCIAL
• Addresses a particular collective interest
• Political Art
• Convey message of protest or contestation
• Depict social conditions
• Photography
• Solicit action and awareness
• Performance Art
• Rouse emotions
PHYSICAL
• Crafted in order to serve some physical purpose.
???
Does art always have to be functional?
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ART
A. Art as an Imitation
B. Art as a Representation
C. Art as a Disinterested Judgement
D. Art as a Communication of Emotion
ART AS AN IMITATION (Plato)
 • Plato (2000) in his masterpiece, The Republic paints a picture of artists as
imitators and art as mere imitation.
• The things in this world are only copies of the original, the eternal, and the
true entities that can be found in the World of Forms.
ART AS A REPRESENTATION (Aristotle)
• For Aristotle, all kinds of art, including poetry, music, dance, painting, and
sculpture, do not aim to represent reality as it is.
• What art endeavors to do is to provide a vision of what might be or the
myriad possibilities of reality.
ART AS A DISINTERESTED JUDGEMENT (Immanuel Kant)
• Considered the judgement of beauty as something that can be universal
despite of its subjectivity.
• Judgement of beauty, and therefore, art is innately autonomous from specific
interests.
• It is the form of art that is adjudged by one who perceives art to be beautiful
or more so, sublime.
• Even aesthetic judgement still requires cognitive activity.
ART AS A COMMUNICATION OF EMOTION (Leo Tolstoy)
• Art serves a language, a communication device that articulates feelings and
emotions that are otherwise unavailable to the audience.
• As language communicates information to other people, art communicates
emotions.