MODULE 1: ARTS AS A HUMANISTIC DISCIPLINE

Chapter Overview
In the age of Instagram and Facebook, it is very easy to come across a work of art
which is made, remade, or reused to fit a certain purpose or value. You must have pressed that
“like” or “love” button as you deem a graphic post so relatable. YouTube offers lots of
tutorials and techniques for painting, calligraphy, watercolor and others; lots of young artists
have been exposed to a wide range of art techniques because of them. Art and information is
now within our reach. There are so many sources available to learn from.
The downside of this quick information is that it is very scattered. We do not know
which to prioritize and are unsure if we are getting the right information.
Art Appreciation on the other hand is a discipline offered in an academic to direct our
often ambivalent feelings toward art which is a good starting point: YOU
Originally, the term "humanity" implied the distinguishing between human beings and
those considered to be less than human, whether that mean dogs, goldfish, or the literal "less
than humans" known as the barbarians and slaves. But with the dawning of what we now
refer to as the Middle Ages, an interest in the divine arose and man began looking at what
was greater than himself. And with this recollection came the understanding that if some
humans were considered subhuman, then what must humans appear as to God? And thus a
new definition of "humanitas" began infiltrating the vernacular, one that implied our certain
mortality rather than superiority over one another. This new definition and conception lead to
what we now call "humanism" which Panofsky describes as maintaining our rationality and
freedom while still keeping in mind our own fallibility and frailty. Thus, responsibility for
ourselves and tolerance to others.
With the rise of humanism in the Middle Ages, it is no wonder that new artistic styles
emerged everywhere and played off one another versus the soon to come Renaissance which
radically shifts to looking at the past as something to be reconstructed. The humanists learned
and grew from what they could study of the past but didn't emulate it. As Panofsky says so
beautifully, "For, if human existence could be thought of as a means rather than an end, how
much less could the records of human activity be considered as value in themselves.”

Lesson 1.1. Understanding Humanities

1. Survey the Place of the Humanities in the History of Western and Eastern Civilization.
2. Distinguish the Humanities and the Sciences as Fields of Learning.
 The Renaissance & Humanism
The word 'renaissance' literally means rebirth. Between the 14th and 16th centuries,
Europe experienced a rebirth of Greco-Roman culture, which had died out centuries before.
Historians call this time period of rebirth, the Renaissance. This Renaissance included a
renewed interest in Greco-Roman texts, a rekindled love of learning, an increased interest in
understanding the natural world, and the philosophy of humanism.
Humanism is an optimistic outlook emphasizing the goodness and success of
humanity. Before the Renaissance, Christian Europeans often viewed humanity as sinful
creatures who needed to be constantly mindful of their souls. During this new period of
rebirth, however, there was much more emphasis on the goodness of God's creation and the
talents and skills God had granted humanity.
The Northern Renaissance & Christian Humanism
The Renaissance started in Italy, which had always been very aware of its Greco-Roman
heritage. As the movement migrated north into places such as England, Germany, and
Scandinavia, however, some of the Greco-Roman aspects were downplayed. Instead, there
was much more emphasis on the understanding of Christianity, particularly early Christianity.
What happened in the north is known as the Northern Renaissance, and its version of
humanism became known as Christian Humanism.
In Christianity, Jesus is understood to have both mortal and divine aspects to his being.
Before the Renaissance, Christian teachings focused primarily on the spiritual and divine
aspects of their belief: Jesus as divine, miracles, salvation, damnation, and so on. During the
Northern Renaissance, however, there was much more focus on Jesus the mortal man,
including his teachings, relationships, and experiences culminating with his execution via
crucifixion. This ultimately affected many different aspects of religious life in northern
Europe.
One of the results of this focus on Jesus's mortal aspects was artwork that emphasized
the physical and emotional pain associated with the crucifixion. Previously, images of his
death were primarily about salvation through sacrifice, and artists depicted Jesus peacefully
slumped over, as if he was sleeping. Artists influenced by Christian Humanism, however,
often depicted Jesus tightly twisted in agony. Those witnessing his death are shown as
wrought with grief rather than reflecting on the joy of salvation.
How would you define ‘art’? For many people art is a specific thing; a painting, sculpture or
photograph, a dance, a poem or a play. It is all of these things, and more. They are mediums
of artistic expression. Webster’s New Collegiate dictionary defines art as “The conscious use
of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” Yet art is
much more than a medium, or words on a page. It is the expression of our experience. Art is
uniquely human and tied directly to culture. It takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary.
It asks questions about who we are, what we value, the meaning of beauty and the human
condition. As an expressive medium it allows us to experience sublime joy, deep sorrow,
confusion and clarity. It tests our strengths, vulnerabilities and resolve. It gives voice to ideas
and feelings, connects us to the past, reflects the present and anticipates the future. Along
these lines, art history, combined with anthropology and literature, are three main sources in
observing, recording and interpreting our human past. Visual art is a rich and complex subject
whose definition is in flux as the culture around it changes. Because of this, how we define
art is in essence a question of agreement. In this respect, we can look again to the dictionary’s
definition for an understanding of exactly what to look for when we proclaim something as
‘art’.
“A scientist tends to know everything about the world that he forgets to know anything about
himself.”

Thales of Miletus
(620-546 BC)
A Philosopher renowned as one of the legendary Seven Wise Men, or
Sophist, of antiquity. He is remembered primarily for his cosmology
based on water as the essence of all matter, with Earth a flat disk floating
on a vast sea.

The most outstanding aspects of Thales’s heritage are: The

search for knowledge for its own sake; the development of the
scientific method; the adoption of practical methods and their
development into general principles; his curiosity and conjectural
approach to the questions of natural phenomena – In the sixth century
B.C.E., Thales asked the question, ‘What is the basic material of the
cosmos?’ The answer is yet to be discovered.

Confucius (555-497 BC)

A wise man once said,
“If you can revive the ancient and use it to understand the modern, then
you are worthy to be a teacher” (2:11, Marquis Zhang Analects Version).
Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.) was born a couple of centuries before
Socrates’ teachings on ethics and logic, and half a millennium before the
start of our modern calendar and the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. He
established a school with the explicit purpose of educating the next
generation for political leadership. He was the first great thinker of the
independent intellectual class, and is regarded as China’s first
selfconscious philosopher who can be historically verified. He is further
recognized as China’s first teacher, and his ideas have travelled beyond its borders to
influence Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and now Western civilizations.
The philosophy of Confucius does not purport to lay out a formula of how everyone should
live. It is merely the way in which he, as a particular person, chose to live his life.

Lesson 1.2. The Humanities in Western Civilization

1. Examine the History of Art as a Humanistic Discipline.

Introduction
Have you ever watched something being made: a time-lapse of a building
construction, a short video on how to bake muffins, a potter spinning his wheel and pulling
up day into the shape of a vessel? There is something satisfying in seeing these processes and
how things are created. One can have a clue of the skill and set, materials, and methods
required to get the task done. You call it and art work. The arts are usually considered as part
of the humanities. These include visual arts such as painting and sculpture, as well as
performing arts such as theatre and dance, and literature. Other humanities such as language
are sometimes considered to be part of the arts, for example as the language arts. The study of
humanities in western civilization can be traced back to ancient Greece, where the humanities
formed the basis of education for all citizens. In ancient Rome, there developed the notion of
the seven liberal arts; these included grammar, rhetoric, logic, music, geometry, arithmetic,
and astronomy.

Key Concepts
 The Relationship of Arts and Humanities
What comes to your mind when you hear the word humanities?
When you hear the word "humanities," what is the first thing that comes to mind? "Human
nature, people, relationships, understanding others.“
When you say Humanities, those are branches of knowledge that concern themselves
with human beings and their culture or with analytic and critical methods of inquiry derived
from an appreciation of human values and of the unique ability of the human spirit to express
itself.
Is humanities and arts are same?
Arts and humanities are considered as two of the oldest fields of knowledge available
to man. While art is seen as a more all-inclusive field, humanities, on the other hand, takes
into consideration a diverse and oftentimes unrelated set of disciplines from literature to
political history.
What is the importance of arts and humanities?
The humanities and the arts are central to all human cultures throughout time. Their
study can facilitate deeper intercultural understanding and lay the groundwork for a civically
engaged life. They can also prepare you to think critically, act creatively, and succeed in a
rapidly changing world.
Both interpret the human experience through words or non-verbal forms of
expression. It's true that the arts have more to do with the act of creation itself, whether
through performance or the physical production of works, while the humanities have to do
more with research and critical analysis

Why art is called as humanities?

The arts are usually considered as part of the humanities. These include visual arts
such as painting and sculpture, as well as performing arts such as theatre and dance, and
literature. Other humanities such as language are sometimes considered to be part of the arts,
for example as the language arts.
How the arts and humanities affect everyday life?
The humanities have practical applications for everyday life. They benefit people by
helping them to think about and to consider life's surprises and challenges before they happen
and by giving strength when they do happen. The humanities help us to make informed
decisions. The humanities help us answer big questions.
How does art and humanities function in society?
Arts and humanities research is useful because it gives societies the capacity to do more good
things and improve the quality of life for more of its population.

To Panofsky, he considers “Art as a Humanistic Discipline”

Let us take a closer look on the meaning of “Humanities:”
(Latin = humanitas; English = “Humanity”)
Classifies in three state:
 divinitas - Gods in the state of perfection in heaven
 humanitas = People in the state of culture in civilized society
 barbaritas = savages in the state of nature for survival
THE PLACE OF HUMANITIES IN THE HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
 Ancient (800 BC) – Cosmocentric View
Protagoras: Man is the measure of all the things
Geocentrism: Man is the center of the universe.
 Medieval (300 AD) – Theocentric View
Scholastricism: Man is created in the image if God; Man is the center of
creation.
 Renaissance (1400) – Anthropocentric View
Humanism: Nothing is more wonderful than man.
 Modern (1600) – Scientific-Technocentric View
Man is a part of nature
 Post-Modern – Electric View
Man is a piece of everything.

Expressions of their beliefs through arts varies from different periods of

human existence.

Ancient image of Cosmocentric Man:

GEOCENTRIC THEORY MEDIEVAL IMAGE OF THEOCENTRIC
MAN
Earth (man) is the center of the universe Man is created by God.
Ptolemy (100-170 AD), Almagest Escorial Beatus, Illuminated Manuscript, 10th Century

RENAISSANCE IMAGE OF MAN:

IMAGE OF MAN:
ANTROPOCENTRIC MAN:
Measure of all things

Leonardo da Vinci
Vitruvian Man, 1490

RENAISSANCE IMAGE OF ANTHROPOCENTRIC MAN

The image of man is the image of God. Man is the
measure of God.

Michaelangelo
The Creation of Man (Sistine Chapel Painting, 1512)

HELIOCENTRIC THEORY:
Removed man from the center of the universe and suggested
the view man was special in the universe

Copernicus, On the Revolution of Celestial Bodies, 1520

MODERN IMAGE OF SCIENTIFIC-

TECHNOCENTRIC MAN
Man is part of nature
The Evolution of Man

MODERN IMAGE OF
SCIENTIFIC-TECHNOCENTRIC MAN
The scientist is detached observer of the
objectified man.

Rembrandt
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Turf, 1642

MODERN IMAGE OF SCIENTIFIC-

TECHNOCENTRIC MAN
Man is dehumanized during the industrial age.

Legaspi
Gadgets, 1947

POST MODERN IMAGE OF ECLECTIC

MAN
Man is a piece of everything.

Installation Art
Medio Cruz
Poleteismo, from Kulo Exhibit 2011

HUMANISTIC DISCIPLES is define:

 History – Human events happening in the world
 Language – Written and oral forms of human communication
 Philosophy - Human reason concerning reality
 Art – Admiration (ART APPRECIATION) of human-made objects
 Human Creativity (ART CREATION) by which these objects are made
WESTERN CONCEPT ART
 Academic – Only schooled people are artists
 Elitist – Meant for the higher social class
 Hierarchical – Liberal art and servile art, high and low art, major art and
minor art or craft, fine art and practical art, folk art, indigenous art, popular
art

WESTERN CLASSIFICATION OF THE ARTS

 Major art
 Made by artists; and
 Primarily concerned with the form of beauty

 Minor art or craft

 Made by artisans
 Concerned with functionality and usefulness of human-made objects (articats)

The 7 Major Arts in Western Civilization

Visual – Painting ¹, Sculpture², Architecture³

Performing – Music⁴, Dance⁵, Drama⁶
Linguistic - Literature⁷

MINOR ARTS: CRAFT

They were considered as makers of:
o Ceramics
o Weaving
o Sewing
o Handicraft
o Carpentry
o Masonry
o Stone cutting
o Gardening
o Cooking

Example of Artist and Artisans:

Michelangelo took the credit and was

recognized as the artist who made this art
and not the artisans who helped him during
the time it was created.

Michelangelo
Painting in the
Ceiling of Sistine
Chapel
1508-1512

Lesson 1.3. The Humanities and the Filipino Personhood (Pagkatao)

1. Relate the Western Concept of Humanities with the Filipino Notion of “pagkatao.”
2. Compare and Contrast the Concepts of Art According to Western and Filipino
Thought.
Introduction
Ayon kay Covar (1992), “hangarin ng disiplinang antropolohiya na pag-aralan ang
likas na tao, kasama na rito ang pagdalumat (conceive/deep thought) ng pagkataong
Pilipino. Di gaya ng siyensya na may pretensyong panukat na unibersal.

Pagkatao at Katauhan
Ayon pa rin kay Covar, “May kasabihan ang mga Pilipino na: “Madali ang maging
tao; mahirap magpakatao.” Ang pagiging tao ay isang prosesong bayolohikal. Ang
pagpapakatao ay naaayon naman sa prosesong kultural. Ang salitang “tao” ay
pangngalan. Ito ay tumatanggap ng iba’t-ibang panlapi upang makapagsaad ng iba’t-
ibang kahulugan. Halimbawa: maka-tao, t-um-ao, tau-han. Ang ka-tau-han ay
nangangahulugan ng “kabasalan ng diwang taglay ng salitang-ugat,” i.e., tao. Sa Ingles,
ang salin ng katauhan ay “humanity.” Ayon kay Miranda, “humanhood.” Dahilan dito,
ang salitang “pagkatao” ay angkop na konsepto bilang “personhood” o pagiging taong
Pilipino. Ayon kay Santiago at Tiangco, ang pagka- “ay tumutukoy sa kalikasan ng tao,
hayop o bagay.” Ganito ang gamit ng pagka- sa pariralang “pagkataong Pilipino,” i.e.,
Pilipinong tao.”

“HUMANITIES”
Latin – humanitas
English – humanities
Filipino – pagpapakatao (mula sa “pagkatao,” “tao”)

COVAR’S FILIPINO ANTHROPOLOGY

KATAUHAN PAGKATAO
Biological: Cultural:
Born as a human being Becoming a human being
Act of being human Process of becoming human
“personality” “personhood”

“Madaling maging tao; mahirap magpakatao”

“PAGPAPAKATAO”
The process by which one becomes a human being
 NON-DUALISTIC RELATION OF TERMS

LABAS LOOB
Malapad ng noo Matalino
Salubong ang kilay Matapang o galit
Malagkit and tingin Umiibig
Maduming bibig Masamang magsalita

LALIM
Malinis ang kaluluwa Matuwid and budhi

NON-DUALISTIC RELATION IN FILIPINO PSYCHOLOGY

LABAS LOOB
hipo dama
pigil timpi
dinig ulinig
tawa tuwa
saya Ligaya
sarap ginhawa

The “humanities” in Filipino Concept

“PAGPAPAKATAO” – The process how a human being becomes a Filipimo

In the study of Humanties, as Pagpapakatao, the students would discover and realize
their own identity as a Filipino.

(Filipe del Leon Jr. (2011) “Defining the Filipino through the Arts”
Cultural Identity – “the worldview and values, beliefs systems, knowledge, skills and
practices, core principles and ideas shared by a society”
“Cultural identity is a sine qua non for becoming active in the world… a source of
social empowerment. Rob a people of their identity and they become passive, lost,
indolent, uncreative and unproductive.”

“The first objective of a colonizing power is to erase the cultural memory of the
conquered people, to induce a collective amnesia about their past and supplant it with the
culture of the colonizers. In this lie the roots of Filipino derivativeness and inferiority
complex vis-a-vis the West.”
  Pre-Colonial Period (Before 1500’s) – Had our own cultural identity
 Colonial Period (1500-1950) - Our identity destroyed by colonizers:
Westernization of Filipino Culture making us alienated from our own
 Post-Colonial Period (1950 – onwards) - Reclamation, affirmation and definition
of our identify in our own terms

THE COMMUNAL CHARACTER OF PHILIPPINE TRADITIONAL

CULTURES AS REFLECTED IN THE ARTS

1. Integration of the arts with other values and functions

2. Unity of the arts
3. Art is integrated with everyday life and not regarded as a separate activity.
4. Equality of opportunity for participation in the artistic and creative process.
5. Flexibility of material, technical, and formal requirements
6. Use of available resources for artistic creation
7. Emphasis on the creative process rather than the finished product
8. Simultaneity of conception and realization

BECOMING FILIPINO THROUGH THE ARTS: The Process of Pagpapakatao

“The arts can provide us the most vivid images of social relations and cultural values.
They are perhaps the most lucid symbols of a people’s quality of being or consciousness.
Contemplating the arts is like reflecting on the psychic template of an artist or a cultural
community.”

Lesson 1.4. The Filipino Concept of Art

1. Discover the Filipino Identity through the Arts.
2. Apply the Filipino Sense of Art in the Appreciation of Art.
 “ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES”

The phrase “Only in the Philippines” can be read in various ways – as an

expression of pride in what we feel are activities, attitudes, and aspirations that are
uniquely Filipino; yet also as an expression of frustration and exasperation about systems
and situations that we know are corrupt, unjust, or simply not good enough.
The answers have come in all shapes and colors. They come in the vibrant hues of
parols that point to our fascinating way of celebrating Christmas – over four months,
starting in September; in the curious ways we turn our plates when somebody leaves the
table before one is finished with his or her meal; in the image of a boxer as national hero
who could, if imagination and votes meet, be the country’s next president.
Good or bad, major or minor, these images collectively afford us a glimpse into
the richness and diversity of our culture. They also assure us that pride and frustration
are not mutually exclusive feelings toward our country and ourselves. Rather, they are
two sides of the same coin; and both are necessary elements to motivate us in steering
our nation into a brighter, peaceful, and just future.

EXAMPLES OF RENOWN FILIPINO ARTISTS

Damian Domingo (1796 – 1834)

Son of Chinese immigrants converted to Christianity, but thought to be a noble Spanish

descent by the Spaniards so that they commissioned him to paint

Engaged by a merchant to paint, in miniaturismo style, albums

of people wearing their daily costumes

Had a vision of making art more accessible to the Filipinos

(Indios)
Founded the first Art School in the Philippines Escuela Dibujo y
Pintura in Tondo Manila in 1821

His patron was Sociedad Economica de los Amigos del Pais

Professor and Director of the Philippine Art Academy. The academy was closed after his
death producing Filipino artists trained in Western artistic tradition

Juan Luna (1857 – 1899)

(Academic Westernized Filipino Painter)

Bachelor of Arts Degree, Ateneo Municipal de Manila.

Enrolled in Academy of Fine Arts, Manila
Went to Europe in 1877, and studied in Escuela de Bellas
Artes de San Fernando
Won gold medal in Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes in
1884 for Spoliarium
Commissioned by Spanish government to do paintings like
La Batalla de Lepanto and El Pacto de Sangre
Arrested for murdering his wife and mother-in-law, but was
acquitted on grounds of crime of passion.

Juan Luna, Spoliarum

1884, Gold Medal,
Exposicion Nacional

NEOCLASSICAL STYLE
Felix R. Hidalgo,
Las Virgines Cristina espuestas al population,
1884, Silver Medal, Exposicion Nacional

Rizal’s speech

“…. In the history of mankind there are names which in

themselves signify an achievement…. To such belong the
names of Luna and Hidalgo: their splendor illuminates two
extremes of the globe-the Orient and the Occident, Spain and
the Philippines. As I utter them, I seem to see two luminous
arches that rise from either region to blend there on high…to
unite two peoples with eternal bonds; two peoples whom the
seas and space vainly separate; two peoples among whom do
not germinate the seeds of disunion blindly sown by men and
their despotism. Luna and Hidalgo are the pride of Spain as of the Philippines-though
born in the Philippines, they might have been born in Spain, for genius has no country;
genius bursts forth everywhere….”

Winning the exposition had proven that Filipinos were equal with the Spaniards, so that
the Filipinos deserve the recognition of other people in the world with equal dignity and
respect.

Luna
España y Filipinas
1886

One positive way of looking at Filipino identity in the arts is to see

Philippine Art as integrated in Western Art, and these two traditions
are uniting and harmonizing with one another.
 Gus Albor Joya
\Upward KarateI
Duality
ACTION
COLOR FIELD PAINTING
PAINTING
ABSTRACT
EXPRESSIONISM

Examples of Filipino Indigenous Arts Embedded in our Culture

vc
 “The principle of cultural identity does not mean that
cultures cannot be criticized. If all cultures on earth are to
survive, most of them have to change some of their beliefs
and practices in order to become compatible with one
another” (Felipe, 2011).

FILIPINO IDENTITY WESTERN

The Philippine culture has to be dynamic in its relation with

“dayaw” – Binisaya other cultures in the world. By harmonizing the Western
word that means good, and the Filipino concepts of art and its practice, a truly