humanities class

humanities class

Exploring the Intersection of Art, History, and Philosophy: A Comprehensive Study in Humanities

1. Introduction to Humanities: Defining the Field and Its Importance

And, of course, there are many other potential relevant insights that the humanities could provide that are generally undervalued. And this is just a hint. Language categorization might be the line that can drive mathematical explorations, and philosophy is full of ways of categorizing mathematical explorations using otherwise hard mathematical problems. So I’m looking forward to helping these young minds see and frame these historical subjects and to encourage these next breakthroughs in the combination of humanities and art.

My big interest for the class is really with the humanities, in general. I actually triple majored in mathematics, philosophy, and comparative literature in undergrad, and I have a strong belief that the humanities provides a sort of interdisciplinary approach to learning that provides multiple distinct benefits for students. And so while a focus on critical argumentation could be sometimes lacking in non-humanities courses, I see that the role of critical argument is downright integral to the study of philosophy and evidence, no matter what you’re claiming, is a must-have.

Absolutely. So we wanted to talk today about this Philosophy, History, and Art History course that you’re going to be teaching in the spring. What are you looking forward to the most about teaching this class?

Hi, Victoria. Yes, sure. So I work in the “matrices” group in the mathematics department. Before coming to CU, I was actually a doctoral student at the University of California Riverside. There is a small possibility that I know some of our audience members since I taught calculus and linear algebra at UCR as a teaching assistant. I very much enjoyed the relationships that I was lucky enough to build with students, and I would be happy to see any of you in office hours or in virtual classes this year.

Dr. Kathleen, welcome! I’m just going to go ahead and start introducing you to our audience here. Maybe you could just tell us a little bit about yourself? What’s your background? What do you like to do in your free time?

2. The Evolution of Art: From Prehistoric Cave Paintings to Contemporary Masterpieces

Cultural traces left to the present day can vary according to political and economic power. Art is the product of the genius of people of aesthetic pleasure based on an almost conscious drive. Artists produce the object in many materials, some of which are realistic, and with an imaginative plea or in a way that exposes thinking and feelings. Each civilization has its understanding of art with its unique qualities of aesthetic and design. Artistic heritage reflecting cultural activity should be used as one of the primary sources in understanding the people of the past. Throughout history, artists will propose a new style to express their worldview, who will look at the world in different ways. For this, continuous stylistic development in art (change in style, the development of styles from one another) helps us to understand the changes in social and political structure, following and affected the way of thought of a century.

Art is a branch of the visual arts that represents events and ideas through tangible or evanescent media. It also influences visuals, concepts, emotions, and principles. Throughout history, art has been rapidly changing and becoming more revolutionary with the introduction and increasing structural development of each new country or dynasty. The discovery of ancient art on archaeological findings provides some information about the present past. In this respect, a successful art history study of the countries aims to highlight the cultural values of Turkish and world art. Information about the social and physical structure of the environment should be provided in art history studies. Design organization, composition format, and principles of organized decorative elements are great compositions used in artwork. The selection of materials has a great impact on the process of art creation.

3. Uncovering the Threads of History: Key Events and Movements that Shaped Human Civilization

This study utilizes a broad-based, holistic approach to covering key events and movements that deeply affected civilizations in order to draw connections and uncover why current artists and thinkers continue to be concerned. It examines history chronologically from the early Paleolithic era in prehistoric times to the Arab Spring movement of the present day, and it presents art and ideas that not only lie participant and/or close in proximity to historical sites but also remain relevant to current humanity since they are accessible via digital resources. Ultimately, the study demonstrates how creative work—embracing art, history, and philosophy—can lead to an enhancement of ideas and an understanding of why history exists and how history builds, creates, defines, and influences people to renew their focus on events, recognizing that art combined with ideas enhances understanding, responding to humanity’s current need for combining image and word.

The subject of history is amorphous, defined by historical events, prehistoric events, events that continue to accumulate in the present, and conceptualized by all three. An understanding of events that have passed contributes to the building of nations and the preservation of cultures, creating a collective memory, a shared written and archival record that joins the living with past generations. A foundation for human ideas and a mirror on humankind. Of particular interest to art, history, and philosophy students, related courses in humanities provide another way of viewing historical events, uncovering historical connections, and understanding historical outcomes by presenting events within the context of extant works and through the eyes of artists and thinkers who lived during those times and who responded to them via their unique perspectives. Clearly, gaining insights into all three ways of viewing historical events—art, history, and philosophy—within the context of one’s own educational history is powerful, provoking thought and understanding.

4. Philosophical Foundations: Examining Major Thinkers and Their Impact on Society

The emergence of written symbols and language was accompanied almost immediately by the birth of philosophy, first as an outgrowth of religious beliefs, and soon after as a systematically pursued and logical investigation into the nature of existence and a search for the elusive questions on truth and justice. The ancient civilization of Egypt and Mesopotamia collectively held sway over the variety of individual city states. The cumulative productive energy within these two societies enabled individualized, specialized occupational structures to be established, which in turn led to the development of social institutions of both a religious and secular nature. These structures in turn allowed man the luxury of time necessary for the pursuit of non-economic interests. Organized, systematic thought beyond the necessary daily existence of the self was enabled, leading to the development of written governmental, legal, religious, ethical, and philosophical linkages between man and society.

It is incumbent upon an examination of how we view ourselves and the society in which we live to review what the world’s great thinkers have said on the subject. Their influences have been – and continue to be – immense. The contribution of these philosophers is pivotal, for they delve deeply into the meaning of life, and in so doing probe the very essence of the self, the individual, the collective society, and the world’s important institutions. It is within the context of the principles that they have formulated that we again examine two of this unit’s major thrusts – the relationship of the individual within society and the functioning of important institutions. The writings of philosophers of the Ancient World also stress obligations and duties to and for the society. Philosophers played major roles in the formulation and expansion of our system of laws and government by making important contributions to political thought and the dynamics of change.

5. Interdisciplinary Connections: Exploring the Interplay Between Art, History, and Philosophy

In the connections we draw, faculty, students, and administrators not only have understood and mapped the network of relationships within our collective community, but have also exposed several important yet underdeveloped intersections where marginal increments to resources from any discipline or group of disciplines could lead to a substantial increase in benefit. This paper explores the interplay between history and philosophy on the one hand, and art on the other hand, through an examination of selected works of art from the early sixteenth century in the context of three departments at a small liberal arts college in the American South.

The humanities discipline is most appropriately taught as a comprehensive study of several related disciplines, not as isolated units. Making interdisciplinary connections between differing subjects is different from isolated reading. It requires students to build complex models of society as they gain knowledge and understanding of all aspects of these interconnected subjects. The desired outcome requires students to be able to sift through large amounts of information; work effectively in diverse teams; reason, understand, speak, and write with clarity, precision, and authority; appreciate difficult puzzles in life; and learn and adapt continuously as they engage in the complex ways of social life.