LESSON 3

FUNCTIONS AND PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ART

Greek philosophers Aristotle claimed that every particular substance in the word has an end,
or telos in Greek, which translates into “purpose”. Man, in Aristotle’s view of reality, is bound
to achieve a life of fulfillment and happiness, or in Greek, eudaimonia.
FUNCTION OF ARTS
-When one speaks of function, one is practically talking about the use of the object whose
function is in question. An inquiry on the function of art is an inquiry on what art is for.
Taj Manal – a massive mausoleum of white marble built in Agra was constructed in memory
of the favorite wife of the then emperor, Shan Jahan. In this and other such functional
arts “functions is so important that it has usurped the name of the art on the
identification of individual works “(Dudely et al., 1960).
PERSONAL FUNCTIONS OF ART
-Varied and highly subjective, this means that its functions depend on the person artist who
created the art. An art may also be therapaeutic.
SOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF ART
-Art is considered to have a social function if and when it addresses a particular collective
interest
as opposed to a personal interest.
PHYSICAL FUNCTION OF ART
-Physical function of art is the easiest to spot and understand the physical function of art can be
found in artworks that are crafted in order to serve some physical purposes.
Music - is also used as a wonderful accompaniment to stages plays and motion pictures. A piece
of music can mean a multitude of meanings to different people, a proof that as an art.
Sculptures - have been made by man most particularly for religion.in the roman Catholic World
the employment of sculpture to religious purposes has remained vital, relevant, and symbolic.
EXAMPLE: Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio monument in Caloocan.
Architecture - might be the most prominent functional art form. Buildings are huge, expensive,
and are not easily construction and replace, unlike other forms of art like pots, furniture,
poetry, or even painting , buildings take so much time to erect and destroy.
ART AS A REPRESSENTATION
Aristotle

-He considered art as an aid to philosophy in revealing truth. For Aristotle, all kind of arts including
poetry, music, dance, painting and sculpture, do not aim to represent reality as it is.

Plato

-He thought that is an imitation of another imitation.

ART AS A DISENTERETED JUDGEMENT

Immanuel Kant

-In the third critique Immanuel Kant write the "Critique of Judgement".

-Recognized that judgement of beauty is subjective.

-For Immanuel Kant every human being, after perception the free play of his faculties, should recognize
the beauty that is inherent in a work of art.

ART AS A COMMUNICATION OF EMOTION

Leo Tolstoy

-The author of "War and Peace" and the "Anna Karenina"

-For him, art plays a huge role in communication to its audience's emotions that the artist perspective
on what is art, in his book he defended the production of the sometimes truly extravagant art, like
operas, despite extreme poverty in the world.