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1. Adler, Mortimer. “Enjoyable Beauty, Admirable Beauty.” Six Great Ideas. NY: Macmillan Publishing Co. 2001. 103-122.

2. Llano, Alejandro. “The Perennial Relevance of the Humanities.” Unraveling the Beautiful. Ed. Veronica Ramirez. 2004. 3-6.

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

4. Adler, Montimer. (n.a.). Some Thoughts on Beauty. Retrieved from http://radicalacademy.org/adleronbeauty.html

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The Perennial Relevance of the Humanities

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The Perennial Relevance of the Humanities

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The Perennial Relevance of the Humanities is an excerpt taken from the translated text of a speech by Professor Alejandro Llano of the University of Navarre. The said excerpt talks about the importance and relevance of Humanities in the context of contemporary times. He made the following points:

A Humanistic formation is essential in responding to changes in contemporary times

With the qualities that Humanists hold, they are vital in responding to different changes development of the society brings. As said by Llano (2004), “Although these qualities may be found in very diverse professions, there is no doubt that a humanistic formation most specifically fosters them, especially if such a formation focuses on developing the basic intellectual capacities and has an interdisciplinary slant” (p. 5). The ability of Humanists to not only foster basic intellectual capacities but to also have a vast knowledge of the understanding of the human being can be used to fill the voids that the specialists have in responding to rapid changes development brings.

Humanists are vital in addressing the present problems of business firms

Although it seems that the technical and economic problems directly affect the overall state of the business firms, there is, in fact, a bigger factor that contributes to the welfare of business corporations and its workforce — human and social problems (Llano, 2004, p. 6). Economic and technical problems are less difficult to solve while human and social problems, despite numerous reoccurrences, remain relevant in various firms established in our societies today. Moreover, the different aspects of business firms require a holistic and deep understanding of the knowledge of man together with the principles of business. Humanists, with their knowledge of man and business principles, are able to critically discern and make the correct decision to address the problems encountered in the professional world.

Humanities is necessary for everything

Whether in the Sciences or Letters, a humanistic formation is necessary for everything for it composes of the base of a complete education (Llano, 2004, p. 6). Since the Humanities provide man with the knowledge of himself and how to address the changes that development brings, all professionals regardless of their field, is a humanist in their own ways.

Humanities enrich Human life, precisely because they treasure the highest values, which are not means but ends.

Humanities may be described as the care, the cultivation of spirit: culture.

Man has a hunger for not only bread or for power, above all, he has hunger for meaning, a desire to know what the purpose of his life is and to transmit this meaning and this knowledge to others.

Humanities’ primary motive is man’s well-being.In aspiring for the excellence of human nature which necessarily involves a humane feeling of neighborliness, of social orientation, of cooperation and of valuing people for themselves and not treating them as means to an end.

Humanities is linked to things that cultivates the knowledge the man has of himself.

Humanities are always committed to human values, with the vision of the world and man, which can be true or erroneous, close or open, elevated or miserly.

Humanities man puts a stake what is most important in his life: the meaning of existence.

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LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II TO ARTISTS

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LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II TO ARTISTS

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The vocation of the artist according to JP II’s Letter to Artists

Pope John Paul II expresses his deep admiration towards artists through his very own Letter to Artists. He talked about the true essence of the creation of an artist, that no one can “sense more deeply” than them. In this letter, the Pope has connected creativity with religious experience, mainly because the first page of the Bible - according to the Pope, presents God as an example to everyone who creates work. He has made it clear that not all are called to be artists, however, all men and women are entrusted with the task of creating their own masterpiece in their life. In doing so, it also the responsibility of each human being to act in responsible for their moral values. This is truly what makes an artist capable of producing objects, not mainly of molding of ones personality but, actually being able to transcend ones productive capacities through the ideas formulated in the mind.

The importance of Classical Art as a point of reference for the Fine Arts based on the Letter

The most important part of the article is when Pope John Paul II said that “The Gift of creativity in an artist should point the person towards God, the ultimate creator.” It is said that the artists have a special relationship with beauty and have an obligation not to waste these so-called skills and talents but rather to wield the power of these gifts for the common good. Whether what is the art form either painting, sculpting, writing or music the artist recognizes its ability to impart beauty to its audience. Every genuine art form in its way is a path to the inmost reality of man and the world. It is a holy approach through faith that gives human experience it’s the true meaning. That is why gospels fullness of truth was bound to stir the interest of the artist, by their very nature are alert to every epiphany of the beauty of things. We see that classical art is very important to fine arts because it incorporates the cultures of Greece and Rome and endures western civilizations, including innovating in painting sculptures and architecture. Classical art pursued the ideals of beauty, harmony, and proportion even those ideals that shifted and changed over centuries. Ideals of human beauty and proportion occupied art’s subject. Variations of those ideals were later adopted during the renaissance period.

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Enjoyable Beauty

Beauty is considered enjoyable under five conditions: (1) it is linked to what is subjective; (2) it is based on the viewer; (3) it is for all; (4) it is pleasurable and reasonable; and (5) it is contemplated upon. Let us first focus on its pleasurable and contemplative aspect. For Thomas Aquinas, “the beautiful is that which pleases us upon being seen” (p. 1). However, not everything that pleases us is beautiful. The word please should not be interchanged with the word satisfaction, because once we possess the object that pleases or satisfies us, the desire for it  fades away or vanishes. An object is considered beautiful if it pleases us in a unique way—“upon being seen.” Food, wine, and wealth, and most of the other goods we need or want please us upon being possessed. “It is having them, to use or consume, that pleases us. They please us when they satisfy our desire to have them, not just to see them (p. 2).” To give more clarity, the word see does not always mean apprehend visually. For Aquinas, seeing is not with the eyes alone, but with the mind—through contemplation. “The beautiful is that which pleases us upon being contemplated. It is that which pleases us when we apprehend it with our minds alone, or, if not by our minds alone, then by our minds in conjunction with our senses, but not by the sense of sight alone (p. 3).” Second, enjoyable beauty is entirely subjective, it is based on the viewer, and it is for all. Immanuel Kant gives a different perspective on the pleasure given to us by objects we consider beautiful—the pleasure we experience is a disinterested on. To be disinterested means “that the object falls outside the sphere of our practical concerns (p. 2).” It is an object we may or may not desire to acquire. We are quite content simply to contemplate or behold it. A person may say "I do not know whether that object is beautiful, but I know what I like, and I do like it", which can also mean "I do not know what expert judges would think about the intrinsic excellence or perfection of the object in question, but I do know that it pleases me to behold or contemplate. It may or may not be admirable in the judgment of experts, but I enjoy it nevertheless." Any object that gives us the disinterested pleasure by simply contemplating that individual object entails that enjoyable beauty is based on the preference of a person, it is highly relative to the taste of the person pleased. As persons differ in their tastes, so they differ with respect to what affords them pleasure when they apprehend it (Adler, n.a.). Moreover, since there is no criteria being followed, i.e. considering the opinions of judges, enjoyable beauty is seen and felt by all, by anyone.

Admirable Beauty

According to Adler’s idea on admirable beauty “we call the object beautiful because it has certain properties that make it admirable. It has those properties whether or not its having them results in its being enjoyable by you or me. If the admirable were universally enjoyable, then beautiful objects would always be subjectively experienced as beautiful also; that is, everyone would derive pleasure or enjoyment from contemplating them.” The difference between enjoyable and admirable beauty is that anything can be enjoyed right away meaning, enjoyment is immediate. On the other hand being able to admire something “may be mediated by thought and dependent upon knowledge”. According to Aquinas, “the beautiful object is one that has unity, proportion, and clarity. It is a complex whole having parts. When the parts are so organized and proportioned to one another that the complex structure of its wholeness is perspicuous or manifest (i.e., not obscured by any discordant or inharmonious element), the object thus constituted is beautiful. It is admirable for its intrinsic excellence or perfection.” Any object that is made regardless of what it is for or it’s purpose, “it is either well made or poorly made. It either has or lacks the intrinsic excellence or perfection that is appropriate to that kind of thing. It either is admirable or not.”