Module 2

1.  For each video and article list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

In the first video, “Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts” I learned a lot about the history art and aesthetics based on different philosopher’s theories. Since as early as 4^th century BC, philosophers have been developing theories about the concept of art and what is considered to be beauty.  Some philosophers built ideas of off previous theories that were developed, while others had entirely different ideas about aesthetics. A few major theories discussed were those of Plato, a famous philosopher who focused on what was reality, and determined the difference between reality and illusion. He argued that poetry was not a form of art, and that poets could only imitate the appearance of people or things, which was not reality. Aristotle, Plato’s student composed the most influential book on art theory “The poetics”. He focused analyzing tragedy rather than discussing beauty. The video also discussed several other important theories of aesthetics created by philosophers such as Francis Hutcheson, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich von Schiller, George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Morris Weitz. The definition of what constitutes as a work of art has continuously changed over the years, where now music, photography, films, television and science can be considered art.

The second video “CARTA: Neurobiology Neurology and Art and Aesthetics” discussed how the brain interprets works of art. Changeaux stated that artistic creation is done by our brains, and that your brain has access to consciousness of certain visual images and emotions that have been processed non-consciously beforehand. He also discussed certain areas of the brain that activated when viewing visual images, for example the prefrontal cortex is activated when viewing something new. Ramachandran explained the rules of art and aesthetics, according to how our minds receive visual imagery and makes sense of it. There are 30 areas in the brain that process visual imagery and it is up to the artist to create images that stimulate these different areas. One rule of art discussed was grouping or binding, which is when your brain searches for a solution to a visual problem. For example, when seeing a bunch of splotches in a photo, your brain immediately searches for a way to see an image, and upon figuring out what that is, there is a “jolt” reaction. The brain is rewarded for this solution and willingly attempts to pursue a solution in a similar situation.

In the article “What the brain draws from: Art and neuroscience”, similarly discusses what is recognized by the brain as art. As infants, we are able to look at a drawing of lines in order to relate it to an image we recognize, such as faces. Our brain readily looks for lines in art, which can trigger emotional responses we aren’t even aware of. The article also further discusses some of Ramachandran’s rules of aesthetics. For example, The world commonly views symmetry as beautiful, because it is believed that the brain utilizes symmetry in order to detect living things, like predators, prey, etc.

     
2. Which philosopher's theory on aesthetics do you feel is most important? Be sure to mention the philosphers name, era (time in history), and contribution to the aesthetic theory in your response.

Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher in the 18^th century developed a theory on aesthetics that I think is most important. Kant developed the idea that if the realms of nature and freedom are separated the individual is torn apart. He thought that ugly concepts in the world such as war were able to seem beautiful through art and poetry. However, the disgusting can never be beautified. He believed that beauty was determined by judgments and based on feelings of pleasure. There is no hard fact or principles that can guide these judgments though, therefore there is no science of the beautiful and no single description can be given.

 
3. What do you think about Changeux and Ramachandran scientific view of aesthetics and art? What was the most interesting fact you discovered from each speakers lecture?

I found Changeux and Ramachandran’s view of aesthetics and art very interesting. The most interesting fact I learned from Changeux’s lecture is the concept of novelty. He explained that the brain becomes bored or desensitized when viewing something its already seen. When the brain sees a new image it is surprised, and the prefrontal cortex is activated. Ramchandran’s lecture was very informative regarding his views of the rules of art and aesthetics. I found the rule of symmetry to be the most interesting. We likely find symmetry to be artistically appealing because the brain has utilized symmetry as a way to detect the possibility of a living thing, such as prey, predators, etc.

4. How do the videos and article relate to the readings in the text?

 The first two Chapters of the text discuss topics such as what defines art and aesthetics, its history and the impact science has on perception of works of art, similarly as in the videos and article. For example, Chapter 2 explains that aesthetics is branch of philosophy that studies art and the nature of beauty. The videos detail several philosophers and their theories around aesthetics. Chapter 1 in the text explains the scientific impact our brains have on visual perception. Information is taken in by our eyes in the form of light patterns, and then the brain processes these light patterns in order to give them meaning. The idea that this is the reason that works of art and beauty may be interpreted in different ways by different people is discussed in this chapter as well as the videos.  

  5. What is your opinion of the films and article? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics in your reading in the text? 

I found the films and article to be helpful in understanding the text because they went into more detail about certain topics in the first three chapters. For example, aesthetics is a topic covered in the text, but the videos helped me to understand why our brains find works of art beautiful, and how it processes visual imagery. I found the second video about neurology and art/aesthetics to be most interesting and informational.