One of the open questions that contemporary academic philosophy faces is what the goals of philosophy of art are, that is, what is the task of philosophy in relation to art and works of art such as poetry, sculpture, cathedrals, dance, or musical interpretation.
It is like wondering how we could approach beauty intellectually. Thoughts have their limits, forms, classifications, and comparisons. On the other hand, beauty is an experience, elusive, it is a subtle spirit that escapes all definitions.
So what are the goals of philosophy of art? Is it, for example, to establish canons through which it will be possible to determine what is a beautiful painting and what is not? Should criteria be set by which some verses will be omitted due to disharmony or to determine musical forms that will “embrace” beauty and harmony and thus limit the numerous, almost boundless paths that Logos has made available to archetypal beauty? As Shakespeare says: Mercury’s words, after A Apollo sings, harsh sounds. Mercury is thought, and Apollo is art. A person needs to be thoughtful and very careful when trying to determine the boundaries of art, or establish boundaries for the uncreated.
There are certain “golden forms,” proportions, color relationships, rhythms, musical tonalities that truly perfectly reflect that elusive, ethereal glow of beauty. However, it is something completely different to limit the number of these forms and establish rational guidelines that will determine the boundary between the beautiful and what is not.
But even though Mercury’s voice sounds rough after Apollo’s songs, it is Mercury who gives the gift of eloquence, the one who brings the sacred fire into the speaker’s words. And rhetoric is an art that Apollo, the master of all muses, accepts with pleasure. The philosophy of art can be, among other things, a rational spokesperson for beauty. Without the desire to capture or limit it, a philosopher can clothe the magnificent purity of artistic intuition with rationality. They can attempt to understand To be surrounded by what surrounds him and to direct oneself towards the truth, guided by the brilliant light of artistic performance, following the traces of Beauty.
In this sense, we can rank Plato and Plotinus among the greatest philosophers of art. Both were philosophers and poets. Both presented the deep meaning of philosophy according to the canons of perfect beauty. Both taught their students how to approach the understanding of the greatest truths through beauty and love. Plato expressed his teaching in a very poetic way, which still resonates in the soul, that beauty is what sustains us in this world of deception and that nature reveals beauty like a mirror!
As John Ruskin, the great English thinker of the 19th century, advocated, the philosophy of art can aim to make the artistic work more accessible to the mind. This means creating a mental staircase that will elevate our consciousness to a point where we can receive the breath of beauty present in a particular artistic work. Similarly, it can provide us with the key to enter the kingdom of art. The purpose of artistic creativity is to teach the “language” through which artistic work ceases to be a secret, transforming it into an open book of shining brilliance.
For example, when observing the Parthenon or the Great Pyramid at Giza, we can be moved, amazed, but also confused without knowing the reason behind this indefinite feeling. However, if it is explained that the pyramid represents a magical mountain, that it mirrors the sevenfold structure and proportions of the solar system in its measurements, that its sides are subtly curved to conceptually replicate the curvature of the universe, that its three chambers – aligned along the vertical axis – mirror the pulsating centers that “create” or sustain three realms (the physical, psychological-mental, and spiritual); if we are taught that the symbolism of the pyramid and fire are synonymous, imitating the hierarchy of forces and entities that exist in nature, and that each pyramid is dedicated to a specific star… these ideas, concepts, and teachings from the “intellectual matter” will build a temple of ideas within our minds.