Aristotle's philosophical perspective on art is that art aims to represent the inward significance of things rather than their outward appearance. The document then discusses the functions of art, categorizing them as physical, social, or personal. It provides examples of each type of function. The document also examines different philosophical perspectives on the nature of art from thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Tolstoy. Plato viewed art as imitation, Aristotle as representation, Kant believed judgment of art is disinterested, and Tolstoy saw art as communication of emotion.

1. Functions and
Philosophical
Perspectives
on Art
Lesson 3

2. What is Aristotle philosophical
perspective on art?
'The aim of art is to represent not the outward
appearance of things, but their inward significance',
Aristotle wrote. The theory of art as an imitation of
beauty or nature was persistent throughout the history
of art.
Philosophy of art, the study of the nature of art,
including concepts such as interpretation,
representation and expression, and form. It is closely
related to aesthetics, the philosophical study of beauty
and taste.

3. The goal of building and transmitting such knowledge in
order to help his readers to become good judges could
be considered the main reason why Aristotle wrote about
art.

4. Functions
of Art

5. The functions of art normally fall into three
categories: physical, social, and personal. These
categories can and often do overlap in any given
piece of art.
The physical functions of art are often the easiest
to understand. Works of art that are created to
perform some service have physical functions. If
you see a Fijian war club, you may assume that,
however wonderful the craftsmanship may be, it
was created to perform the physical function of
smashing skulls.

6. Social functions of art are those that go beyond
personal intrinsic value to art's social benefits.
Individuals and their society are dynamically
related. Art communicates. Most often it is
constructed with the intention of sharing responses
to and opinions about life with others.
Art may also serve the personal function of
controlling its viewers, much like social art. It can
also perform religious service or acknowledgment.
Art has been used to attempt to exert magical
control, change the seasons, and even acquire
food. Some art brings order and peace, some
creates chaos.

7. Personal Functions
of Art
Art may also serve the personal function of
controlling its viewers, much like social art. It
can also perform religious service or
acknowledgment. Art has been used to
attempt to exert magical control, change
the seasons, and even acquire food. Some
art brings order and peace, some creates
chaos.

8. What are the examples
of personal functions of
art?
Psychological expression. Visual images
preceded written language as a means of
communication.
Love, sex and marriage.
Death, Morbidity and Illness.
Spiritual Concern.
Aesthetic Expression.
Intellectual Inquiry.

9. Social Functions
of Art
Every art is considered to have social
functions. Social Functions of art are those
that go beyond personal important value to
art's social benefits. Most often, it is
constructed with the intention of sharing
responses and opinions about life with
others.

10. Physical Functions
of Art
This function of art is can be found in
artworks that are crafted in order to
serve some physical purpose. The
physical Functions of art are often
the easiest to understand.

11. Other Functions of Art
Music- Music was used for dance and religion. As music
continuously expanded it's function and coverage,
there are now a lot of music that has no connection to
dance and religion. Music have numerous parallels
because they share elements such as harmony, balance,
rhythm, and repetitions.
Sculpture - Sculpture is another functional art form that
has long existed for various purposes. Artists create
sculptures to express ideas, convey religious beliefs,
and tell the story of significant figures in history.

12. Architecture - Architecture might be the most
prominent functional art form. Through
architecture, one can find the intimate
connection of function and form. One cannot
simply dismiss taking into consideration the
function of a building before construction.
Architecture is an art form that has multiple
functions.

13. Does Art Always Have to
be Functional?
While it has been shown that most arts are functional, still there are
some which are not. The value of a work of art does not depend on
function but on the work itself. The plays of Aeschylus and the
poetry of Robert Frost and Edgar Allan Poe are still counted as
examples of great works of art despite their not having a known
function. In those whose functions are ascertained, however, it is a
different story. A functional object cannot be claimed to be
beautiful unless it can perform its function sufficiently.

14. Does Art Always Have to
be Functional?
Despite these, efficiency cannot be mistaken as beauty. While it
certainly determines beauty in some works of art, an efficient
functional object is not necessarily beautiful. Art demands so much
more than mere efficiency. What then really comprises beauty and
art? What makes something truly beautiful? What really makes a
work of art? What really is art? The next section attempts to
provide different perspectives on the nature of art.

15. Philosophical
Perspectives on
Art

16. Art as an Imitation
Plato (20002) in his masterpiece, The Republic,
particularly paints a picture of artists as imitators and art
as mere imitation.
In Plato’s metaphysics or view of reality, the things in this
world are only copies of the original, the eternal, and the
true entities that can only be found in the World of Forms.
Plato was convinced that artists merely reinforce the
belief in copies and discourage men to reach for the real
entities in the World of Forms.

17. Plato was deeply suspicious of arts and artists for two
reasons: they appeal to the emotion rather than to the
rational faculty of men and they imitate rather than lead one
to reality.
Socrates is worried that art objects represent only the things
in this world, copies themselves of reality. As such, in the
dialogue, Socrates claimed that art is just an imitation of
imitation. A painting is just an imitation of nature, which is also
just an imitation of reality in the World of Forms.
The arts then are to be banished, alongside the practitioners,
so that the attitudes and actions of the members of the
Republic will not be corrupted by the influence of the arts.

18. Art as a
Representation
Aristotle, Plato’s most important student in philosophy,
agreed with his teacher that art is a form of imitation.
However, in contrast to the disgust that his master holds for
art, Aristotle considered art as an aid to philosophy in
revealing truth.
·Talking about tragedies, for example, Aristotle (1902) in the
Poetics claimed that poetry is a literary representation in
general. Akin to other art forms, poetry only admits of an
attempt to represent what things might be.

19. In the Aristotelian worldview, art serves two particular purposes,
First, art allows for the experience of pleasure. Experiences that are
otherwise repugnant can become entertaining in art. For example, a
horrible experience can be made an object of humor in a comedy.
Secondly, art also has an ability to be instructive and teach its
audience things about life; thus, it is cognitive as well. Greek plays
are usually of this nature.

20. Art as a Disinterested
Judgement
In the third critique that Immanuel Kant
wrote, the “Critique of Judgement,” Kant
considered the judgement of beauty, the
cornerstone of art, as something that can be
universal despite its subjectivity. Kant
mentioned that judgement of beauty, and
therefore, art, is innately autonomous from
specific interests.

21. For Kant, when one judges a particular painting as
beautiful, one in effect is saying that the said painting
has induced a particular feeling of satisfaction from
him and that he expects the painting to rouse the same
feeling from anyone.
So when the same person says that something is
beautiful, he does not just believe that the thing is
beautiful for him, but in a sense, expects that the same
thing should put everyone in awe.

22. Art as a Communication
of Emotion
The author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, Leo
Tolstoy, provided another perspective on what art is. In
his book, What is Art (2016), Tolstoy defended the
production of the sometimes truly extravagant art, like
operas, despite extreme poverty in the world.
Art then serves as a language, a communication device
that articulates feelings and emotions that are otherwise
unavailable to the audience.

23. Tolstoy is fighting for the social dimension of
art. As a purveyor of man's innermost feelings
and thoughts, art is given a unique opportunity
to serve as a mechanism for social unity.
Art is central to man's existence because it
makes accessible feelings and emotion of
people from the past and present, from one
continent to another.

24. Let's Wrap
It Up
The different functions of art may be
classified as either personal, social, or
physical.
Art may serve either as imitation,
representation, a disinterested
judgement, or simply a communication
of emotion.

25. Thank you
for listening!