Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

Unit 1
Embracing the Humanities

Introduction
There are instances in when one reflects and asks himself these questions:
What am I? Why am I in this world? Where do I go from here? What can I do to
become and remain an effective, responsible member of society? Indeed, man tends
to search the meaning and the purpose of his/her existence. To quench these queries,
one needs to be more human-to put man into his/her heart and mind, thus, the
primordial purpose of this course.
This unit is designed to intensively immerse you to the different art forms.
In this way, you come to understand better the significance of arts in our daily
living.

Unit Learning Outcomes

At the end of the unit, you will be able to:
a. Distinguish humanities from sciences;
b. Demonstrate appreciation on the significance and functions of arts to
man; and
c. Analyze and explain how the art influences the person’s character and
actions.

Topic 1: Defining the Humanities

Time Allotment: 2 hours

Learning Objectives
At the end of the session, you will be able to:
a. Trace the development of humanities in the different periods and
b. Discuss the Humanities.

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

Activating Prior Knowledge

W ha t a r e t h e h u m a n i t i e s ?

What comes to your mind when you hear the word humanities? Write your ideas
on the blanks provided below.

Humanities

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

Presentation of Content
From the ideas you shared in the activity, try to construct a simple
definition of humanities.

This time, let’s see where you can categorize your own definition. Ortiz et
al. (1976) in their book presented different definitions of humanities from ancient
Latin to present.
The term “humanities” was first applied to the writings of ancient Latin
authors which were read not only for their clarity of language and forceful literary
style, but also, and more specially, for their moral teaching. During the Medieval
Age, the humanities dealt with the metaphysics of the religion philosopher. The
goal was the cultivation of the spiritual life and the preparation for the hereafter.
During the Renaissance, the word came to refer to the set of disciplines taught in
the universities, which included grammar, rhetoric, history, literature, music,
philosophy, and theology- a body of knowledge aimed to make man “human,
cultured, and refined. At present, the humanities serve to provide the student with
certain skills and values through arts.
Elaborating and relating humanities from arts, Sanchez (2001) said that the
term ‘humanities’ refers to the arts- the visual arts such as architecture; painting
and sculpture; music; dance; the theater or drama; and literature. They are the
branches of learning concerned with human being and his feelings and how he
expresses those feelings have always been the concern of the humanities.

What are the differences and similarities of the Humanities and the Sciences?
Even this time, others still do not have clear grasp of the different disciplines
they embrace. Although these concepts have been thrown around their heads, they
have never really been asked for the definitions and focus/foci of all these. It is then
necessary that one should know the background for it leads him/her to appreciate
the future career s/he wanted to be.
As mentioned by Ortiz et al. (1976), the sciences and the humanities are two
different terms with the same goal. The sciences deal with the external world of
man, as well as with the facets of man’s being that can be subjected to observation,
measurement, and experimentation. Further, the sciences enable man to understand

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

and control nature and to harness its energy to make his life more comfortable and
convenient. On the other hand, the humanities deal with man’s internal world-with
his personality and experiences, matters that cannot be exactly measured, classified,
or controlled. The humanities’ approach is subjective; it makes much use of
perception, feeling, intuition, and insight. The focus of the humanities is on man as
an individual, while in the social sciences the main interest is on types and groups
of human beings, and on the institutions and processes of society.
Thus, both the sciences and the humanities are necessary for the
development of the complete, social man, ready to take on his responsibilities in
this rapidly changing world and to enjoy life as he lives it.

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

Topic 2: Understanding the Arts

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the session, you will be able to:
a. Evaluate the perspectives behind the meaning of art;
b. Demonstrate understanding on the basic concepts and assumptions
about art; and
c. Point out works of art in the past that are still very much admired and
treasured today.

Activating Prior Knowledge

What is an art?

K W L
(What You Know) (What You want to (What You Learned and
Learn) still Want to Learn)

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

Presentation of Content

What is art?
We can say that art is the lifeblood of humanities because it conveys one’s
feelings and expressions. Art is the essential factor which motivates an individual
to create and appreciate “a thing of beauty.”
But before we formally discuss art, let’s look at the etymological meaning
as well as the different meanings of art given by the experts. Etymologically, art is
derived from the Latin word “ars”, meaning ability or skill. Art is from an Italian
“artis” defined as a human or skill. Further, Webster’s New Collegiate dictionary
defines art as “The conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the
production of aesthetics objects.”

Writers and philosophers defined arts in different ways:

“Art is not, as the metaphysicians say, the manifestation of some mysterious

idea of beauty of God: it is not, as the aesthetical physiologists say, a game
in which man lets off his excess of stored-up energy; it is not the expression
of man’s emotions by external signs; it is not the production of pleasing
objects, above all, it is not pleasure; but it is a means of unions among men,
joining them together in the same feelings, and indispensable for the life
and progress toward well-being of individuals and humanity.” Russian
novelist Leo Tolstoy

“Art teaches nothing, except the significance of life.” American writer

Henry Miller

“Art is higher type of knowledge than experience.” Greek philosopher

Aristotle

“The object of art is to give life a shape.” French dramatist Jean Anouilh

“Art is science in the flesh.” French poet and playwright Jean Couteau

“All art is social,” because it is the result of a relationship between an artist

and his time.” Historian James Adams

“Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.”
Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

“Art is a discovery and development of elementary principles of nature into

beautiful forms suitable for human use.” American architect, interior
designer, writer, and educator Frank Lloyd Wright

Assumptions about Art

1. Art is everywhere.
"Your surroundings, home, personal
care, pets, clothing and body are all
reflections of how you see and express
yourself." - Dr. Christiane Northrup
The Invention of Clothing

2. Art is not nature.

Art is not nature because art is man-made. It is the creature of man that may
reflect a profound skillfulness and craftsmanship. Art can never be natural because
nature is evanescent, in constant transformation of change, and yet art is permanent.

3. Art is imitating and creating.

Creation in art is the act of
combining or re-ordering already
existing materials so that new objects
will be formed. An artist only copies the
things in nature he believes would
express his thought and feelings. Art is
a process of imitating involving
1Cassily Lake in Tuao, Cagayan personal assimilation through mind,
feeling and style (Barrios, 2012).

4. Art perfects nature.

Artists only enhance things they like and eliminate the undesirable
elements in nature to convey their message of beauty and love.

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

5. Art is universal.
It transcends cultures, races, and
civilization. As long as human beings
exist, art is feasible, alive, and dynamic.

Romeo and Juliet by William

Shakespeare

6. Art is timeless
Art is timeless because it goes beyond the time of our existence. It is present
in every corner of the world to serve basic needs of mankind, from ancient time to
modern world. Further, art is timeless because it continually evolves. Aside from
artists birthing new artworks, they also never stop innovating, recreating,
reinventing, and reviving works of art.
Art defines time. In watching film, for example, even when you do not have
the idea when it was created, the style of directing and filming, the clothing and
bearing of the characters, musical scoring and the setting and the plot of the story
would make the viewer’s guess the period when it was produces.
While art defines time, time also defines art. It identifies the artwork that
would “click” in a particular time for the particular audience.

Aside from the assumptions about arts discussed, other universally accepted ideas
about arts are the following:
Art as Expression and Communication
Art has grown out of man’s need to express himself. Expression is limited
to the revelation of emotions alone. The personal and social values of the artist and
his penetrating psychological insight into human reality are also conveyed through
arts. The artist uses symbols which he organizes into some comprehensible
equivalent of the experience that he is trying to convey. If the symbols are
understood by his audience, then communication has been established.

Art and Experience

Three major kinds of experience are involved in the artistic activity. (1) It
starts as an experience which the artist wants to communicate. (2) The act of
expressing this experience –that of creating that art object or form. (3) When the
work is done, there is the artist’s gratifying experience of having accomplished
something significant.

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

On the part of the onlooker or listener, he may kindle an experience which

is similar or related to that which the artist tried to express. These include sensory,
emotional, and intellectual responses.

Art and Beauty

A thing of beauty is one which gives us pleasure when we perceive it. The
delight that we experience is called aesthetic pleasure. Beauty in terms of art refers
to an interaction between line, color, texture, sound, shape, motion, and size that is
pleasing to the senses.
Sometimes beauty is not the artist’s ultimate goal. Art is often intended to
appeal to and connect with human emotion. Artists may express something so their
audience is stimulated in some way-creating feelings, religious faith, curiosity,
interest, identification with a group, thoughts, or creativity. For example,
performance art often does not aim to please the audience but instead evokes
feelings, reactions, conversations, or questions for the viewer. In these cases,
aesthetics may be an irrelevant measure of “beautiful” art
([Link]

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

Read the short persuasive essay about Nature being a source of inspiration.

Reading the Book of Nature

The Book of Nature, one writer declared, has pages “written over with large print or
fine print, and in a variety of language,” Most of us read the large type more or less
appreciatively, but fail to decipher the fine lines and footnotes.”
However, artists who, most always, are lovers of nature, decode the obscure signs
and read between the lines. And from that, they draw inspiration for their creations.
Before he sits down with paint and brush, Arnel Azurin, a nature painter for example,
immerses himself in Nature, to explore its very heart, to probe its secrets of life- and
to realize how all these fall into a large, universal pattern.
Other artists also find inspiration in every little aspect of Nature, reading in each a
sense of life, a threshold opening into a realm of mystic meanings. In one instance,
a poet, writing a poem, saw in the driftwood a metaphor of the human spirit: that
though battered in form, it prevails through time and weather.
The artist develops an acute sensitivity to Nature’s shapes; leaves in varied forms,
gnarled branches and twigs, rounded hills and mountain peaks; to Nature’s texture:
flower petals, ripened fruit, rocks and stones; to Nature’s colors the carpet of emerald
green moss, the yellow of ripening grain in rice fields, the deep blue see sea and sky.
Most artists interpret and imitate Nature in its utmost beauty. How best to sump up
Nature’s splendor except through colorful flowers, scenic landscapes, lush forests,
vigorous animals, and graceful human forms!
Painters, poets, sculptors, and musicians too, find inspiration in Nature. Anyone, for
that matter, if he takes time out to pause and read closely enough the Book of Nature,
will discover in it an exhilarating, bewitching something that inspires the sublime in
the human spirit.
-The New Dimensions in Learning English (Manual)

After reading the selection, try answering the given questions below.

Guide Questions:

1. What is the image of Nature described in the passage?

2. In what way does the image confirm Nature’s artistry?
3. What feeling or emotion is evoked by the image?

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

Topic 3: Classifying the Arts

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the session, you will be to:
a. Categorize the different forms of the arts and
b. Cite examples of each of the forms.

Activating Prior Knowledge

In a group, list down different art works as many as you can, then among
those art works mentioned choose only one which you think it influences or inspires
you most. Do this only within 3 minutes.

Presentation of Content

From the activity given, you have heard various art works. Art is classified
in different ways. Writers and philosophers have their own classification of art. To
clearly comprehend the relationship of these arts, let’s us study the categorization
made by the different experts
According to Webster (1987), the major arts involve man’s skills to create
works of art that are in form, content, and execution, aesthetically pleasing and
meaning as in music, painting, architecture, and sculpture. They are called major
arts because they appeal to the senses of sight, hearing, and feeling. They are more
notable and conspicuous in effect.
On the other hand, the aesthetic factor in the minor arts lies in the “styling”.
They are addressed primarily to the sense of sight and their usefulness. The minor
arts are inferior in degree, especially in the extent of aesthetic quality.
According to Manaois, there are two (2) general dimensions of arts, namely,
(1) fine arts or independent arts made principally for aesthetic enjoyment through

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

the senses, especially visual and auditory such as painting, sculpture, architecture,
literature, theater, performing arts, and (2) practical arts or utilitarian arts intended
for practical use or the development of raw materials for functional purposes such
as industrial art, civic art, commercial art, graphic art, agricultural and fishery art.
Estolas (1995) also grouped arts into:
1. Visual Arts. These artworks are perceived by our eyes which may be
classified into graphic arts and plastic arts. Graphic arts have flat two-
dimensional surface such as painting industry. It covers the commercial arts
like the design of books, advertisements, signs, posters and other displays
for advertisements. Plastic arts are visual arts which have three-
dimensional forms. Under this grouping are: architectural designs and
construction of buildings and other structures; landscape of gardens, parks,
playgrounds, and golf courses with plants ,trees, vines and ground cover;
2. Performing Arts. These include the theater, play, dance, and music. They
involve movement, speaking and gestures.
3. Literary Arts. These include the short stories, novels, poetry and dramas.
4. Popular Arts. These include the film, newspaper, magazine, radio and
television. This group is characterized as gay and lively.
5. Gustatory Art of the Cuisine. This involves skills in food preparation.
6. Decorative Arts. They are visual objects produced for beautifying houses,
offices, cars and other structures. They are also called applied arts.

Sanchez, Abad, and Jao (2001) grouped arts into:

1. Visual arts. These include graphic arts (which include drawing, painting,
photography, etc. or in which portrayals of forms and symbols are recorded
on a two-dimensional surface) and plastic arts (which comprise all fields of
visual arts for which materials are arranged in three-dimensional forms
namely, structural architecture, interior arranging, crafts, sculpture,
industrial design, dress and costume design and theatre design.
2. Literature. These include drama, essay, prose fiction, poetry, and
miscellaneous (history, biography, journals, diaries, and other works not
formally classed as literature).
3. Music. These include vocal music; instrumental music; music combined
with other music like opera, operatta and musical comedy, oratorio and
cantata; and other forms like ballet music and background music for motion
pictures.
4. Drama and Theater. These include tragedy, melodrama, comedy,
miscellaneous
5. Dance. These include ethnologic, social or ballroom dances, ballet, modern,
musical comedy.

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

Barrios (2012) classified arts into two: according to purpose and according
to media and forms.
1. According to Purpose

A. Practical or useful arts are those human activities directed to

produce artifacts, tools and utensils used in doing households and
everyday chores.
Examples: basket weaving agriculture, etc.
B. Liberal Arts involve the development of man’ intellectual
reasoning.
Examples: Mathematics, Astronomy, Grammar
C. Fine Arts are the products of the human creative activity as they
express beauty in different ways and media for the satisfaction and
relaxation of man’s mind and spirit.
Examples: painting, sculpture, architecture
D. Major Arts are characterized by their actual and potential
expressiveness and by a purely disinterested purpose.
Examples: music, poetry, sculpture
E. Minor Arts are works connected with practical uses and purposes.
Examples: interior decoration, porcelain

2. According to Media and Forms

A. Plastic Arts are developed through space and perceived by the sense
of sight.
Examples: painting, sculpture, architecture
B. Phonetic Arts are based on sounds and words as media of
expression.
Examples: music, drama, literature
C. Kinetic Arts make use of the rhythmic movement as the elements of
expression.
Example: dance
D. Pure Arts utilize only one medium of expression.
Examples: sound in music, color in painting
E. Mixed Arts use two or more media.
Example: The opera(which is a combination of music, poetry, and
drama)

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

Topic 4: Knowing the Functions of Arts

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the session, you will be able to:
a. Discuss the different functions of art;
b. Demonstrate understanding how artists use images to represent
ad idea; and
c. Realize the function of some art forms in daily life.

Activating Prior Knowledge

Have a closer look at the given images or pictures. What function does an
artwork perform? Does it have any purpose? Do all artworks have a function?
You may freely express your ideas or opinions based on your own schema
or experience.

[Link]

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

[Link]

[Link]
vi-3-pasalubong-cagayan/

Presentation of Content

From the activity given above, you have observed that each artwork has its
own function or purpose. Artists may convey their messages in different ways.

To recognize and appreciate the function of arts not only within ourselves
but in the community as well, read the article written by Frederick A. Horowitz.

MORE THAN YOU SEE: THE MANY FUNCTIONS OF ART

By Frederick A. Horowitz

Art has many different functions in human history. Each society

defined its own purposes for art, and produced an art suited to those
purposes. For ancient Romans, art served as a vehicle of propaganda: their
sculptures proclaimed victories, and their buildings highly praised the
power of the State. In modern societies like our own, art serves different
and sometimes contradictory purposes. One artist paints in order to
communicate a message to his audience, while across the street another
paints in order to please himself. A third artist explores shapes and colors;
a fourth illustrates books.

Art functions as:

1. An agent of magic (to ensure a successful hunt, perpetuate the soul

after death, triumph over an enemy, cure diseases, etc.)

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

2. An aid to meditation
3. An agent to ritual
4. A record of events, objects, situations
5. A substitute for real thing, or a symbol
6. A souvenir
7. Propaganda to impress, persuade or change thinking or behavior
8. Communication of stories, ideas, events
9. An agent of social control
10. Amusement or entertainment
11. A mean of moral improvement
12. education
13. A means of self-expression
14. Self-revelation
15. Release of emotions
16. Exploration of vision
17. A reflection and interpretation of life
18. An expression of beauty
19. Decoration or embellishment
20. Monetary investment
21. A status symbol

The functions of arts are wide ranging. Art is as broad as human experience. All of
art comes out of life and is bound up with life. Art is meaningful, but meaningful in
ways that differ from society to society, from time to time, and from person to
person.
Adapted from More Than You See: A Guide to Art
New York: Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, Inc. 1992

With the numerous listed functions of arts, they may normally fall into three
categories as mentioned by Esaak (2019). These are personal, social, and physical
functions.

1. Personal Function

There are many types of personal function, and they are subjective and will,
therefore, vary from person to person.

An artist may create out of a need for self-expression, or gratification. S/he

might have wanted to communicate a thought or point to the viewer. Perhaps the
artist was trying to provide an aesthetic experience, both for self and viewers. A
piece might have been meant to "merely" entertain others. Sometimes a piece isn't
meant to have any meaning at all.

Further, art may serve the personal functions of control. Art has been used
to attempt to exert magical control over time, or the seasons or even the acquisition
of food. Art is used to bring order to a messy and disorderly world. Conversely, art

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

can be used to create chaos when an artist feels life is too staid and ordinary. Art
can also be therapeutic - for both the artist and the viewer.

2. Social Function

According to Ortiz et al. (1976), art performs a social function when:

a. It seeks or tends to influence the collective behavior of a people.

b. It is created to be seen or used primarily in public situations.
c. It expresses or describes social or collective aspects of existence as
opposed to individual and personal kinds of experiences.

Influencing Social Behavior

• Pictorial form is very powerful means of putting across a message.

• Paintings, photographs, posters, cartoons have been used to express
humanitarian concern as well as ideological or political comment.
• Satire- which puts up people and institutions to ridicule so that they will
change- is effectively communicated in various cartoons and
caricatures.
• Editorial cartoons convey the message more directly and clearly than
the printed word does. Cartoonists comment on the foibles(weaknesses)
of society and of its leaders, with the hope that something is done to
correct these faults and improve the human condition.
• Literature has served just as well for political and ideological
expression. It is a powerful tool in shaping society and its manners.
Urbana at Felisa by Modesto de Castro- an epistolary novel of the 19th
century, became the Filipino code of ethics of the time, guiding the
youth on how to conduct themselves in church, in social gatherings, in
school, and at home.
• Propaganda Literature has swayed people’s minds and feelings toward
certain ends.
• Religion has especially capitalized on the arts to spread beliefs and
reinforce and sustain faith. It plays noble functions as enlightening us in
our spiritual beliefs and elevating our moral character.
• Advertising art aims to affect the buying behavior of people. These
include posters, billboards, magazine and newspapers adds, catalogs,
handbills, package design, radio, television.

Display and Celebration

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

• Commemoration of important personages in society serves to record

important historical events, or reveals the ideals of heroism and
leadership that the community would want the young to emulate.
• Rituals have played an important role in people’s lives and have
influenced the growth of certain arts as well.
• Public celebrations, such as festivals and other activities, unite people
in a shared experience, just as the celebration of important phase of life
do.

Social Description

• Art works are vital historical documents.

• Tools, weapons furniture, paintings, statues, stories and songs and buildings reflect the
feelings, struggles and achievements of people. They reveal how people thought, felt, and
lived in a certain historical period.
• Temples, sculptures, epics, plays and even the pottery of ancient Greece tell us so much
about the age when man first regarded himself as the measure of all things.
• Portraits are informative.

3. Physical Function

The physical functions of art are often the easiest to understand. Works of
art that are created to perform some service have physical functions.

Tools and containers are objects which function to make our lives physically
comfortable. Functional works of art may be classified as either tools or containers.

Take a look at the given terms below. Reflect why these are categorized
this way.
1. A spoon- tool
2. A car- tool
3. A building- container
4. A Community- container
5. A ceramic vase- container
6. A chair-container

Note that architecture, any of the crafts, and industrial design are all types of art
that have physical functions.

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

An example of the physical function of art

Art that has a physical function usually relates

to items that can be used for a practical
purpose because of their physical structure,
despite their artistic appeal.

Examples include architecture, which can be

breathtaking, but still primarily serves a
physical function. This chair is a good
example of physical art. Its design means that
it is immediately aesthetically interesting to [Link]
the eye, but its main function is to be a are-the-functions-of-art

comfortable chair to sit on.

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Unit 1: Embracing the Humanities

References
Barrios, Romeo A. (2012). An Experimental Approach in the Study of the
Humanities. Ermita, Manila: Educational Publishing House.
Dela Cruz et al. (2003). The New Dimensions in Learning English III. Sampaloc,
Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.
Esaak, Shelley (2019).The Important Functions of Art. Retrieved from
[Link] 182414
on June 18,
Estolas, Josefina V., Clarita G. Javier, & Nieves Pada-Payno. Introduction to
Humanities(Arts for Fine Living). Mandaluyong City: National Book
Store, Inc.
Horowitz, Frederick (1992). More Than You See: A Guide to Art. New York:
Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
Merriam Webster. Illustrated Contemporary Dictionary, Encyclopedia
Edition,(Chicago, Illinois: J.G. Feguson, Publishing Co., 1987, pp. 718, 757.
Ortiz, Ma. Aurora R. et al. (1976). Art: Perception and Appreciation. Manila:
University of the East.
Sanchez, Custodiosa A., Paz F. Abad, & Loreta V. Jao. (2001). Introduction to
Humanities. Quezon City: Rex Printing Company, Inc.
Retrieved from [Link] arthistory/chapter/what-
is-art/ on September 5, 2018.
Retrieved from
[Link]
college-education on June 19, 2019.
Retrieved from [Link]
of-art on June 19, 2019.
Retrieved from [Link]
pasalubong-cagayan/ on June 19, 2019.

Retrieved from [Link]

d&q=Rizal%27Park+Image on June 19, 2019.

Retrieved from [Link] on

August 15, 2020.
Retrieved from
[Link]
7636124027 on August 15, 2020.
Retrieved from [Link]
as-leonardo-dicaprio-takes-her-hand-to-kiss-picture-id168603201?s=2048x2048
on August 15, 2020.

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Summary of the Unit

In this Unit, you have found that The Humanities were distinguished
from sciences wherein the Humanities deal with man’s internal world with
his personality and experiences, matters that cannot be measured, classified,
or controlled. On the other hand, sciences deal with the external world of man,
as well as with the facets of man’s being that can be subjected to observation,
measurement, and experimentation. Despite their uniqueness, both the
humanities and the sciences are necessary for the holistic development of an
individual ready to embrace the complexity of the changing world.
Basic concepts and assumptions about art were made clear. Art is the
lifeblood of humanities because it conveys one’s feelings and expressions.
Arts are grouped into two: major arts and minor arts. Major arts include
painting, architecture, sculpture, literature, music, and dance; while minor
arts include the decorative arts, the popular arts, the graphic arts, the plastics
arts, and industrial arts. Further, art has three functions which include
personal, social, and physical functions.

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