Paper 12
When we think of art we think of two different arts one could be just playing an instrument and
another could be Art you hang on the wall, each of these are very different. When reading 7.2
Paul from all the other writes we have read writes a unique style. But there are two people in
7.2 we will talk about one is Ziff and the other is Bell those two will be trying to figure out and
answer the basic question about art. But Ziff and Bell are two different people that write two
different ways Bell writes much more traditionalist trying to build a theory through an
agreement which as Ziff writes by asking probing questions and then suggesting answers. Paul
Ziff talks about how the subject of a painting make it impossible to him to appreciate just
because of the “Nauseating” background of the person being painted. He also says that the fact
that he could or not find aesthetic value on something said more about his taste and himself
than about the object in question and its aesthetic qualities. And it’s the train of thought that
recognizes art as something quite subjective which makes me think that he has a more valid
point of view than others . (than bell for example). I think that the concept of Art is too diverse
and too wide to have strict rules or be too specific. I think that with time we all come up with
our own definition or conception of what is art, and hat is not. I do realize we tend to
categorize the things we appreciate and put them on a scale to be measure how good they are
based on which criteria we have for that scale.
In 7.4 Tolstoy talks about art is a meaning of communication which allows man to fell
the same emotion of the artist who expressed them. As a result, art becomes significant
because it has the capacity of unite mankind in terms of feelings. Tolstoy has several
considerations before formulating this definition. For instance, he was aware that art was a
human activity. He knew that if one must define such activity, one must determine its meaning
and importance. Therefore, he assessed art by itself, not by something far removed from it. This
was the reason why Tolstoy rejected the other definitions given to art. All other definitions
define art based on the beauty or pleasure it gives, however beauty and pleasure is external to
art. This renders the other definitions as invalid. Because art is a human activity, Tolstoy
examined it in relation to the life of man and the condition of mankind through this
examination, He discovered that the aim of art was to express the felling of man. Art exists
when man expressed himself with the goal of sharing his feelings to others.
I would define art as broadest sense, Art is a form of communication that means the meaning
by its shapes by the materials, techniques, and forms it makes use of as well as the idea and
feeling it creates in the viewers eyes. Art is an act of expressing feelings thoughts, and
observations. When we think of Art we always think on how beautiful it look we think about
how someone could ever come up with such a beautiful thing. When we look at art it is always
cool because you can let your mind wonder and let it take you to where you think the picture
looks like, that is what is so cool about art you can let you imitation go.
Work Citation
Zucker, Arthur, and Paul Ziff. Introduction to Modern Philosophy: Examining the Human
Condition, by Alburey Castell and Donald M. Borchert, 7th Edition ed., Prentice Hall,
2001, pp. 409–416.
Tolstoy, Leo. Introduction to Modern Philosophy: Examining the Human Condition, by Alburey
Castell et al., 7th edition ed., Prentice Hall, 2001, pp. 429–436.