Second Post

Watch the following videos:
Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts

CARTA: Neurobiology Neurology and Art and Aesthetics


Read this article:
What the brain draws from: Art and neuroscience


Questions and Topics for Your Blog Posting:

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

The “Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts” video essentially goes over the history of pivotal moments within the aesthetics philosophy, and the people who aided in this movement. From Plato back in antiquity, to more contemporary artists, respectively, such as Duchamp. “CARTA: Neurobiology Neurology and Art and Aesthetics” was a very interesting video! Primarily for the second speaker, instantly engaging. The first speaker was very dry, and hard to get through. I, honestly, can’t recall what he was really talking about. The second speaker, though, very interesting! The way he connected our current appreciation of art the primitive evolution of our brain and habits is such a fun thought. He had 8 laws of visual aesthetics that he went through in great detail. The article is somewhat similar to the CARTA video, in that it discusses concepts of art and our brains processing of art.

2. Which philosopher's theroy 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, 18th century. “Through the genus, nature set rules to art.” Kant provided ideas that the opposite of beautification is not ugliness, as ugliness can still be made beautiful. But that the disgusting is the antithesis of beautification, as the disgusting is something that one would want to expel from themselves; pain. He also spoke on how judgement of the beautiful is not rule bound, but based on the feeling, a hypothesis. Kant greatly shaped the ideas of Romanticism.

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?

Mentioned in my first response, Changeux was dull, and I didn’t really get much from his videos. Whereas Ramachandran was a pleasure to listen to. I thoroughly enjoyed how he pointed out the hypocrisy within Eurocentric fetishizing of art all while discrediting cultures outside that bubble.

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

The videos went a bit further into the science behind how people’s brains possibly process art, but ultimately, they all covered the idea of visual aesthetics, and it’s collective influence throughout human existence.

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?

All of the work talked about the same things, pretty much, but the videos built upon the ideas outlined in the text a bit further. Going in depth more about the science behind enjoying art, the history of aesthetic philosophy. In this way, the films and article built depth by reiterating what was already stated with more examples and details not covered in the text.