Humanities Lecture - What are the Humanities? PDF

Humanities And The Arts Arts  What are the Humanities? The humanities are those academic disciplines that study the expressions of human beings that explore and reveal what it means to be human.  What are the Humanities? The disciplines that study the expressions...

Humanities And The Arts Arts  What are the Humanities? The humanities are those academic disciplines that study the expressions of human beings that explore and reveal what it means to be human.  What are the Humanities? The disciplines that study the expressions of human beings and explore what it means to be human are philosophy, language, social science, history, literature, religion, and ART.  What are the Humanities? ART explores what it means to be human. Painting, music, sculpture, film, poetry, and theater helps people to see and understand what it means to be human.  What are the Humanities? The humanities is a way of thinking about and responding to the world. The humanities are about human beings, their culture and their intellectual achievements. What are the Humanities? Humanities stimulates intellectual inquiry and seeks answers, to the central questions of the meaning of human life. What are the Humanities? Art probes into the purpose and meaning of life. Art makes us think abstractly in ways we don’t normally think. Art helps us to reflect and keep the meaning of life on the edge of our minds. What are the Humanities? The Humanities interprets answers to life as they emerge from products of human experience- What are the Humanities? Products of human experience are – Religion – Art – Music – Dance – Drama – Film – Literature  What are the Humanities? Humanities seeks the clarity of wisdom gained through a disciplined engagement – (Art, religion, music, dance, drama)  What are the Humanities? Through the Humanities, we learn about ourselves and Who are you? we learn about How did you get here? others. The humanities are about human beings, their culture and their intellectual achievements. Humanities.  Humanities. The Humanities are about humans. The Humanities are about what humans produced and why they produced it. Humanities Human psyche Human nature Human condition Human behavior Human struggle  Human psyche –is where your power is. The power of why you do what you do. In your psyche lies the potential to overcome odds, and obstacles big and small. The conscious “you” would never allow you to take on such a feat. Human psyche is the force inside of a human that says “mind over matter.” “If you think you can you will. If you think you can’t you won’t.”  Human nature -- the natural inclination of the human. The ultimate tendency of a human. The basic makeup of a human. “I was born this way.” Human nature is the set of psychological characteristics, including ways of thinking and acting, that all normal human beings have in common. Human behavior - Human behavior is the collection of behaviors exhibited by human beings and influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values. Human condition Why am I this way? Human condition is the disconnect between what we are and what we can be. Why am I this way? Why is she this way? What is she thinking? Human struggle. To make strenuous or violent efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition. To proceed with difficulty or with great effort. The struggle for survival. The struggle to find the meaning of existence. The struggle to have questions answered. The human struggle for rights…  Humanities. The Humanities are about humans. The Humanities are about what humans produced and why they produced it. We communicate our struggles to others through ART. As part of this course, we will learn to observe. Observation by the intellect. (Observation begins with the senses: what we see, hear, taste, smell, touch--with what makes us feel alive. ) Intellect = the capacity for rational or intelligent thought -- especially when highly developed. Intellect is built by involving oneself in the arts as a viewer and/or participant. The more a person involves themselves in the arts, the more intellectual a person becomes.  Left Brain Right Brain The more a person Words Images (non- involves (verbal) verbal) themselves Logical Intuitive in the arts, Black & the more Color White intellectual a Numbers Rhythm person Sequence Imagination becomes. Analysis Daydreaming Lists Dimension Critical Creative Thinking Thinking  The Left Brain The left brain is associated with verbal, logical, and analytical thinking. It excels in naming and categorizing things, symbolic abstraction, speech, reading, writing, arithmetic. The left brain is very linear: it places things in sequential order -- first things first and then second things second, etc. If you reflect back upon our own educational training, we have been traditionally taught to master the 3 R's: reading, writing and arithmetic -- the domain and strength of the left brain.  The Right Brain The right brain, on the other hand, functions in a non-verbal manner and excels in visual, spatial, perceptual, and intuitive information. The right brain processes information differently than the left brain. For the right brain, processing happens very quickly and the style of processing is nonlinear and nonsequential. The right brain looks at the whole picture and quickly seeks to determine the spatial relationships of all the parts as they relate to the whole. This component of the brain is not concerned with things falling into patterns because of prescribed rules. On the contrary, the right brain seems to flourish dealing with complexity, ambiguity and paradox. At times, right brain thinking is difficult to put into words because of its complexity, its ability to process information quickly and its non-verbal nature. The right brain has been associated with the realm of creativity. Why are the Humanities Important? Humanities are the key to understanding the diversity and richness of all cultures. The humanities are socially useful for critical and imaginative thinking about the issues that confront us as citizens and as human beings.  The p urpos not to e of o but to m a k e us u r hum make f e el go a nities us aw od ab cours are o out o e is f o u rs ursel elves ves,. Why are the Humanities Important? The humanities allow people to accomplish certain mental feats by helping them gain empathy and a better sense of what other people's truths have been. By visiting a Holocaust museum Americans can better understand the pain and suffering Jews endured during World War II. By watching the movie “Roots” people can better understand the history and suffering of African American people.  People What are people? People are a collective group of human beings. People An ethnic group of people or ethnicity is a population of human beings whose members identify with each other, either on the basis of ancestry, or by common cultural, linguistic, religious, or territorial traits. Ethnicity is used in contrast to race.  People A race of people refers to a classification of physical and genetic traits perceived as common to certain groups. The most widely used human racial categories are based on visible traits (skin color, facial features and hair texture  People Nationality is a relationship between a person and their state of origin, culture, association, affiliation and/or loyalty.  People So then what is culture? Culture is.. The predominating attitudes and behavior that characterize the functioning of a group or organization.  People So then what is culture? – The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. – The expression of a population or community through their patterns, traits, beliefs and products.(Edwardian culture; Japanese culture; the culture of poverty.)  What is Art? Art is a product made with the intention of stimulating the human senses, the human mind and spirit. The driving force for art is human creativity.  What is Art? Art = the product of human work and thought.  What is Art? Artist is a term applied to a person who engages in an activity deemed to be an art. An artist also may be defined unofficially, as, "a person who expresses themselves through a medium". What is Art? An artwork is normally assessed in quality by the amount of stimulation it brings about. Who does the art impact? How many people can relate to the art? How much can the art be appreciated? Why? How much influence does the art have on the past? On human condition? Psyche? Behavior? Nature? Struggle? Most artworks that are widely considered to be "masterpieces" possess these attributes. What is Art? The humanities arts concern the human condition, struggle, psyche, behavior,and nature: past, present, and future.  What is Art? Architecture Visual arts Applied art Crafts Dance Decorative art Design Drawing Film Language Literature Music Opera Painting Photography Poetry Sculpture Theatre & Performing arts  What is Art? Art terms to remember: – Folk Art – Applied Art – Fine Art – Craft – Abstract – Subjective (Realistic) – 3 dimensional – 2 dimensional – Genre  Elements of Creativity There is an elemental basis for the composition/product of any human creativity. The elements is the basic recipe. Just like a cake, there are basic ingredients needed to make a creative product.  Elements of Creativity The elements are the building blocks of creation.  Elements of Creativity The Elements of Music Melody Harmony Rhythm Dynamics  Elements of Creativity The Elements of Theater Actor Audience Text (Script) Costume Scenery Sound Props  Elements of Creativity The Elements of Drama Plot Theme Character Dialogue Scenery  Elements of Creativity The Elements of Dance Centering Gravity Balance Posture Gesture Rhythm Movement in Space Breathing  Elements of Creativity The Elements of Film Story Direction Camera Work Editing  Elements of Creativity The Elements of Fashion Line Shape Fabric Texture  Elements of Creativity The Elements of Visual Art Color Value Line Shape Form Texture Space Principles of Art are Universal Emphasis Balance Harmony Variety Movement Rhythm Proportion Unity  Elements of Art (basic ingredients to make a basic work of art)  Principles of art takes creativity to a higher detailed level.