HUMA 024 Lecture 2: What is Art
Document Summary
The ancient greek philosopher, plato (429-347 bce), wrote fictional dialogues in which socrates (plato"s real teacher, 469-399 bce), asks people what is ? questions, but is always disappointed by their initial responses. Socrates asks the self-proclaimed spiritual advisor, euthyphro, the question what is holiness? euthyphro"s first response is that holiness is prosecuting wrongdoers. Socrates points out that euthyphro has merely identified a holy act, which is an example and not a definition of holiness. Socrates is asking for would clarify what makes all holy things, including prosecuting wrongdoers, holy. One way of approaching the question what is art? is to begin with a general descriptive term that we think applies to all art. For example, we could say, as many people do, that all art is expression. Then we can say that something is art because it is an instance of expression.
