GE 218: Arts APPRECIATION

Lesson 1
Introduction to Humanities

Learning Outcomes

 Understand the role of humanities and arts in and individual’s attempt at fully
realizing this end.
 Discuss the importance of Humanities in the life of individuals;
 Explain the significance of Humanities in every human life.

Time Frame: 2 weeks

Introduction

“The arts and humanities define who we are as a people. That is their power -- to remind us of what we each have to offer, and

what we all have in common. To help us understand our history and imagine our future. To give us hope in the moments of struggle

and to bring us together when nothing else will. “ Michelle Obama

Humanities and arts plays a vital role in human aspect; the society and culture.
Arts expresses aesthetic ideas by the used of skills and imagination in the creation of
object, environment, and experiences which can be shared with other. We can say that
we involved in arts if we can compose melody, sing a song beautifully and dance
gracefully. Arts may also present beautiful language, arouses emotions and rich
imagery. Therefore, almost all human activities involves arts.
This lesson present the importance and significance of humanities in the human
life.

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Activity (Let’s Get Started!)

Instruction: Draw out an idea, concept or thoughts that makes you happy
when times you falling down in your life. Write down the ideas, concept or
thought inside the concept map.

What makes me
happy?

Analysis (Let’s Think About it!)

Instruction: Read the questions and answer.

1. Based on the idea drawn out on the concept mapping, has a
relationship or relevant to humanities? Discuss and Explain.
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2. How humanities helpful to the life of individual?

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3. Why humanities important to human life?

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Abstraction (Let’s Explore!)

“If a man is to live like a human being, his heart and mind must be nourished.
And the best spiritual nourishment comes from the Humanities”
(T. Andres, 1980)
The Humanities
Humanities covers a wide area of subject matter such as visual arts or fine
arts like painting, sculptures and architecture, literatures, music and dance.
Liberal arts which included in the humanities are history, philosophy, theology
and all languages.
The term humanities is derived from the Latin word “humanus”, meaning
human refined and cultured. It is based on the philosophical view of
humanism which stresses the dictum of Protagoras, a Greek philosopher, that
“man is the measures of all things”, implying that the humanities emphasizes
the dignity and worthiness of man and recognizes creative expressions.
Humanism believes that man should be humanized, socialized and
educated to respond positively to rapid changes. It is the humanities course
where appreciation of arts can be strengthen because the artists convey their
thoughts, belief, values and feeling through the visual arts, literary arts, dance
and music.
The study of arts is the study of mankind. Humanities, being the study of
arts, have always been concern with the importance of human being, his
feelings, and how he expresses those feelings. However, it should be
stressed that the humanities emphasize analysis and exchange of ideas
rather than the creative expression of the arts or the quantitative explanation
of the sciences.

Why should we study the Humanities?

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The different subject areas are studied not for their own sake but in the light of how
they relate and speak to contemporary man. More importantly, the course is expected to
help the students grow up to be better human beings than they were before they
enrolled in the course.
The teaching of the humanities is intended to make the students realize that the mere
possession of knowledge is useless unless put to useful ends.

Moreover, they would become aware that knowledge alone is meaningless unless it
is accompanied by values, sentiments, priorities, insights, inter-relationships and other
transcendent realities not subject to empirical proofs also form part of the person’s
education. In the humanities, the students are exposed to these, thus, the development
of the whole person, which is the goal of present day education.

Significance of the Humanities

Art is very important in our lives. It constitutes one of the oldest form and most
important means of expression developed by man. It is a language, which is charged
with feelings and significance that has sprung up among men living together.

Art is concerned with the communication of certain ideas and feelings by means
of a sensuous medium – color, sound, bronze, marble, words and film. This medium is
fashioned through a symbolic language marked by beauty of design and coherence of
form. It appeals to our minds, arouses our emotions, kindles our imagination, and
enchants our senses. (Machlis, 1963). Thus, each artwork reflects the ideals, hopes and
fears of the times in which an individual live.

The humanities are the stories, the ideas, and the words that help us make
sense of our lives and our world. The humanities introduce us to people we have never
met, places we have never visited, and ideas that may have never crossed our minds.
By showing how others have lived and thought about life, the humanities help us decide
what is important in our own lives and what we can do to make them better. By
connecting us with other people, they point the way to answers about what is right or
wrong, or what is true to our heritage and our history. The humanities help us address
the challenges we face together in our families, our communities, and as a nation.

Application (Let’s Do It!)

Instruction: Answer the following questions.

1. Explain the dictum of a great philosopher that the “man is measures of

all things”.

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2. Given the significance and rationale of teaching the arts in tertiary

education, why do you think you, as a student in management/office
administration and agricultural business, should study the humanities?
Explain and Discuss.
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Closure
Good job! You’ve done your first lesson on this module. You may now
proceed to the next lesson of this module the meaning, importance,
assumptions and function of arts.