[Fis] Art and the Cognitive (Is art a human phenomenon?)

[Csáji László Koppány]

Dear FIS Colleagues,

This is rather a starting point of a conversation than a report of research
results; a call to think together and share our thoughts and knowledge. The
question in this kick-off text is very simple: Is art a human ability? As a
social and cultural anthropologist, I conducted fieldworks in Asia, Africa,
and Europe over the last few decades. Art penetrates our everyday life and
rituals; just think of the built environment, music, design, literature,
fine arts, vernacular arts, etc. I have recently published a paper that
addresses art(s), aiming to develop a new definition from the perspective
of cognitive sciences (see: Toward a Multidimensional Definition of Art
from the Perspective of Cognitive Sciences | MDPI
<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.mdpi.com/3042-8084/2/1/1__;!!D9dNQwwGXtA!Xrv66q4RXEKv2pWONoI8np-mus_kNGSc3EjXMgbnMskwKkNrkjmE_CkucMR_l-mR9kB5LSEAvPHhwXtKfFcx6TrO8g$ >). My attached kick-off text largely
relies on this long paper.

Numerous attempts to define art have been made from antiquity to the
present, yet historical overviews often adopt a Eurocentric (and
American-centric) perspective focused mainly on culturally dependent
aesthetic approaches. As a universal social and cultural phenomenon, art
resists center-periphery models. Art is not merely a unique representation
of reality, but also an ability to create new realities and thereby shape
society. Art has attracted and accompanied people from the dawn of history.
Some argue that acquiring the ability to create and appreciate art was one
of the few important steps in the process of becoming Homo Sapiens. Thus,
it is a universal phenomenon that spans ages and cultures—arising from
something fundamentally human.  However, is it really fundamentally human?
What gives its "merely" human factor? Do our experiences (image) on AI
development and its social functions support this idea? Ethologists,
cognitive scientists, and psychologists often over-emphasize one element
(e.g., visual symmetry-asymmetry, harmony, beauty, etc.) of art(s) that
seems suitable for their research methods. This seems a pragmatic and
reasonable solution, but it easily obscures the “big picture” and the core
of the problem. Thus, it remains a question how art can be considered as a
human activity. Consequently, artists and scholars have been preoccupied
since ancient times with the question of what art is, or how certain
prominent forms of art (visual arts, drama, music, literature, etc.) work.
Nevertheless, the abstract concept of art is not expressed by a notion
(word) in every culture. There are significant differences in the use of
the words linked to art. Moreover, the meaning of art has changed
continuously and significantly over time, albeit at different rates.

The cognitive turn reshaped art theory by reconsidering art as a cognitive
dimension of humanity. Art has no limits on who can create or enjoy it. The
ability to use and understand metaphor, for instance, demonstrates everyday
human artistic cognition. I introduced a simple vectorial model that aligns
closely with the idea of family resemblance in the sense that cognitive
semantics conceives it as a kind of categorization (meaning construction). This
a 3D model rather than a simple definition. Since art lacks a single,
definitive prototype, no strict, universal definition can capture all its
forms in a yes or no spectrum. My filed studies showed me the variability
of artistic practices (in craft, value, range of affect, etc.) that can be
placed in different ways within a space (and not a category) of art. In
this model, three coordinates form a space. These vectors (coordinates) are
equally relevant cognitive aspects: 1. Creativity, 2. Communication, 3.
Experience. For further, detailed argumentation see the attached file.

Dear FIS members, dear colleagues in different scientific disciplines! Do
you agree or disagree that art is a human ability? If yes or no: what kind
of evidence can we set up for the argumentation?


Best regards,

                            László Koppány Csáji


P.s. See the attached file for further details and argumentation
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