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Humanities unravel the beauty of existence

Humanities deepens and cultivates the knowledge of men in the aspects of human life, not animals.

Humanities deepens the knowledge of human life, purpose, and the end, for it is a valuable thing.

Humanities deal with the human spirit over the body of a person, the sole reason is to find meaning.

Humanities tackle the values and vision of how humans see the world. It gives the most important meaning in life, the existence of man.

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"Vitruvian Man"
Leonardo da Vinci

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As established by Pope John Paul II, artists and God have a special connection—they share the feeling of having created something and giving it meaning. It is this creativity and artistry that molds man more into the image of God and it is because of this very likeness that artists are entrusted with a very special vocation: to bring beauty to the world and to promote the good in doing so. This vocation is two-pronged. The first one deals with the artistic and creative aspect of the artist. As Pope John Paul II stated, we are all artists in the sense that we have the responsibility to make our own lives a masterpiece. However, to be truly deserving of the title, one must be able to actualize the ideas and capacities of the mind. The artist must be able to utilize the things around him and transform it in such a way that will give it new meaning. Indeed, a craftsman cannot be called as such if he is without craft.

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A humanistic formation is needed in universities in order to integrate good doctrinal orientation, foster capacity for analysis and synthesis, and to inculcate the sensibilities needed to perceive and respond to the challenges of today.

A great majority of the problems that arise today are social and human problems. This increases the need, not for specialists per se, but for humanists or generalists.

Humanities attempt to discover the meaning of human activity which utilitarianism fails to answer. It vivifies and gives meaning to our increasingly technological society. Thus, the study of humanities is necessary for the future of our civilization.

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The other aspect of the vocation of artists is perhaps the more complex of the two for it deals with something more than just aesthetics. The second aspect, the moral one, deals with what is beautiful, good, and true. As emphasized by Pope John Paul II, the good is the metaphysical condition of beauty in the same way that beauty is the physical condition of the good. Any artist, no matter what field or medium, who is able to grasp this concept will not shy away from the chance to use his creativity in service of it. Thus, any work of art that is good and beautiful is a reflection of truth. With this said, artists must work hard and wholeheartedly commit to the heavy responsibility laid out before them. In pursuit of the beautiful and good, they must not be tempted by earthly goods or measly glory. A good moral standing obedient to the cause is needed in order to create art that will truly enthuse us for work and raise us up.

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These two aspects of artistic vocation are connected and manifested in the artist’s works. Every piece and object is a reflection of the artist and his inner life. Through his art, he is able to leave an imprint of himself, communicate himself to the world, and reveal the history and rich culture of the society he lives in. Thus, the special vocation of the artist is done not just for the service of himself but for the glorification of God and the good of others as well.

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By: Sophia Marie Mauleon and Jose Luis Relova

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By: Sophia Marie Mauleon and Jose Luis Relova

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"The Incredulity of Saint Thomas"
Caravaggio

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Classical art is important as a point of reference for the fine arts as it was an effective way to portray the mystery of Christ and the gospel. Works of art inspired by the gospel contain a “symbolic code” which are signs based on the scriptures. This was useful in spreading the faith of Christianity to fellow believers in times of persecution. The usage of the symbols to represent key images of the gospel aids in the attempt to actualize the mystery of Christ and which provides a deeper understanding of the scriptures. “Who does not recall the symbols which marked the first appearance of an art both pictorial and plastic? The fish, the loaves, the shepherd: in evoking the mystery, they became almost imperceptibly the first traces of new art.” (John Paul II, 1999) The development of the architecture of the churches was also influenced by classical art. While architecture is used for designing the church as a place of worship, there was a gradual need for contemplation and presentation of the mystery of faith. This realization led to the creation of many kinds of classical art with Christian themes and other modes of expressing the gospel to the simple people. These artists used forms of classical authors but their work was nourished by their faith and the gospel. One concrete example of this was the creation of gospel music. The Gregorian chant which was made by Gregory the Great, became known as the music of the Church's faith in the liturgical celebration of the sacred mysteries until this day. Many of the fine arts in the church give reference to the use of classical art to express the unknown mysteries of their faith.

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The subject of beauty is one that brings the mind into deeper pondering. As Adler (1981, p. 103) noted, in the presence of many of the most eloquent statements about beauty, we are left speechless—speechless in the sense that we cannot find other words for expressing what we think or hope we understand. This ambiguous nature of beauty gave rise to the need to define beauty ontologically. Saint Thomas Aquinas gave us an interesting perspective concerning beauty by defining it as “one which pleases upon being seen.” This definition puts emphasis on two key terms namely,  “pleases” and “seen”. Despite their plainness, these two terms might bring one to having more questions instead of getting one unequivocal answer. The term “pleases” here is not equivalent to the notion of sensual satisfaction wherein pleasure is correlated to the idea of possession. As Immanuel Kant notes, pleasure, as used here, is a totally disinterested one. The term “seen” on the other hand, is not limited to the sensorial function of sight or apprehending visually but rather to the broader idea of “seeing with the mind”.  In other words, seeing here means knowing, contemplating, or beholding. It pleases us when we apprehend it with our minds alone or by our minds in conjunction with our senses but not by the sense of sight alone.

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"Two Women at a Window"
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

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Through the perceptual capacities of our mind, we grasp the beauty that we behold and through that, we discern that that object is indeed beautiful. It is an apprehension totally devoid of concepts; of trying to generalize or categorize beauty in the same manner as they do in the fields of science, philosophy, or history. When we apprehend beauty, we apprehend it for and in itself alone. This act of knowing the thing that is beautiful in itself, since one cannot love without knowing, therefore, brings us to the judgment that the object is beautiful. The double act of knowing and appreciating puts beauty in a very special place. Goodness, as we know is the proper object of man’s desire whereas the truth is the value appropriated to the sphere of knowledge. Beauty is a value that is appropriate to the same sphere in which we find truth and goodness. It is good in the sense that the object of our desires or the act of appreciating a thing because it is pleasurable is what is good. On one hand, it is in line with the truth because the intellect of the human person seeks the truth and that act of seeking the truth is done through the process of knowing. Hence, whatever is beautiful is likewise good and true.

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"Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee"
Rembrandt van Rijn

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The concept of beauty in most cases is expressed through subjective opinions. Each individual beholds a specific background which formulates standards for situations he or she may encounter, and that reason alone is why everyone develops a unique perception towards what is pleasing, and what is not; however, despite the notion that art is to be enjoyed by all people, there is still the fact that an objective aspect in art also exists. As stated by Adler (1981,p.116)  judgments regarding beauty, be it in art or other works contains—to an extent—the presence of objective truth. In the context of admirable beauty, the importance of an expert is repeatedly highlighted, as the key to understanding the admirability of an object lies within one’s credentials and ability to judge an object. Adler emphasizes that although each has a distinct taste, there also exists a superior taste. In the art world, there are qualified people who make discernments based on the features a specific object contains. They formulate judgments based on objective qualities that are present or lacking. In addition, the underlying qualification is to use reason as a basis. Adler (1981,p.112) mentions that admiration is dependent upon knowledge, therefore one cannot deny the crucial role and eligibility of admirable beauty in contemporary times. Additionally, this dictates the indispensable roles of critics, art appraisers, and any occupation in line with art. The ability to see the object as an individual object without the influence of one’s thoughts or feelings in making a judgment is supposedly the “superior taste” that Adler stated. Despite the label of “expert’’, it is not guaranteed that whatever is deemed admirable may seem pleasing and enjoyable to the layman. In spite of all the distinctions made, there is still a line between admirable and enjoyable beauty. The obvious difference is one relies on the beholder’s perception, while the other one relies on reasoning and knowledge.

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Print:
Adler, Mortimer.  “Enjoyable Beauty,  Admirable Beauty.” Six Great Ideas. NY: Macmillan  Publishing Co. pp.  2001.  Print.

Pope John Paul II. Letter to Artists, Mandaluyong City: Theological Centrum, 2001. Print.

Artworks:
"Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee" by Rembrandt (1633) Display at Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA, USA, [stolen] 1990.

"The Incredulity of Saint Thomas" Caravaggio (1601-1602) Display at Sanssouci Picture Gallery, Potsdam, Germany, 12 September 2018.

"Two Women at a Window" by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1655/1660)

Display board at Widener Collection, The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA, photographed by: Sanjay Acharya, 1 July 2011.

"Vitruvian Man" by Leonardo da Vinci (1492) Gabinetto dei disegni e delle stampe, Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice, Italy, 8, September 2007.