Saint Louis College
City of San Fernando, La Union
Introduction to Humanities
What is humanities?
- comes from the Latin word “humanus” which means refined, culture and human
refined - would include norms, being civilize, and socialize
culture – pertains to the adaptation to
human – would simply mean having the nature of people, or being a person
- refers to the branches of learning concerned with human thought, feelings and
relations.
A Working Definition:
• the expression of ourselves without using the words
• the study of man’s expression, feelings, thought, intuition, values, and ideas
• the study of man’s experience, goals, and aspirations
• it is used to dramatize individual expressions
AIMS OF HUMANITIES:
During Medieval Age
o It dealt with the metaphysics of the religious philosopher
During Renaissance Period
o To make man richer
During the 19th & 20th Century
o To appreciate and understand the importance of human being, his ideas,
and aspirations
Other related fields:
1. ANTHROPOLOGY
- the study of humanity. It gives a broader understanding of the nature of man and
the human potential.
Goal: To understand our:
o Evolutionary origins
o Distinctiveness
o Diversity
2. HISTORY
- systematic study of the families, societies, and the great men
- it provides basis in the questions and concepts that have influenced people and
have helped to shape the conditions of humans today.
3. PHILOSOPHY
- “Love of wisdom”
- the search for knowledge and truth, especially about the nature of man and his
behavior and beliefs
4. SOCIOLOGY
- the study of human social relationships and institutions
- how human action and consciousness both shape and are shaped by surrounding
cultural and social structures.
5. LINGUISTICS
- the systematic study of human language
- seeks to describe what human languages are like, how languages develop and
change, and how people learn and use language.
6. VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
- to expand knowledge of the human condition and human cultures, especially in
relation to behaviors, ideas, and values expressed in works of human imagination
and thought
4E’s of Learning Humanities
o Exploration- sense of discovery
o Exposure- access to the needed medium
o Experience –the main learning process
o Enjoyment – a kind of release and discovery
3 Domains in Learning Humanities:
1. Cognitive
• Involves the development of our mental skills and the acquisition of knowledge
• These abilities are needed to successfully performing a task
2. Affective
• Involves our feelings, emotions, and attitudes towards persons, objects, things,
ideas or situations
3. Psychomotor Domains
• Comprised of utilizing motor skills and coordinating them
• Related to those abilities which are required for successful performing various
psychomotor activities
WHAT IS ART?
- comes from the Latin word “ars/artis” which means to do or man made
- It is a medium of expression because through arts we express our ideas, emotions,
feelings, without using words.
- it is also a creative activity which involves skill or expertness in handling materials
THE IMPORTANCE OF ART
• satisfies the needs for personal expression
• develop our skills to express ourselves
• Challenge us to see things differently
• It unleashes our hidden desires and passion
• It can change our ways in life
• It gives pleasure, satisfaction, and gratification
ASSUMPTIONS OF ART
1. Art is universal
- it is everywhere
- it has no limit and it rises above cultures, races, and civilization.
- it is timeless
2. Art is not nature
- it is man-made
- it is artificial (imitation)
- art that is created by God is divine and art that is created by man is superficial
or temporary
3. Art involves experience
- art is a depiction of our experiences
- we can only appreciate art if we spend time to look at it, listen to it, and feel its
presence.
FUNCTIONS OF ART
1. Personal
- it is used to provide comfort, happiness, and convenience to human
beings.
2. Social
- it is used for public display and celebration
3. Cultural Function
- it helps preserve, share, and transmit culture of people from one generation to
another
4. Aesthetic Function
- influential for man to become aware of the beauty of nature
5. Spiritual Function
- to reinforce the religious or spiritual support of a culture
PHILOSOPHY OF ART
1. Art as Mimesis
• “mimesis” – imitation or copying
• all artistic creation is a mimesis (Plato)
• art is an “imitation of an action” (Aristotle)
2. Art as a Representation (Aristotle)
• art represents something
• signs and symbols are arranged in order to form semantic constructions and
express relations with the other things
3. Art for Art’s Sake (Kant)
• art needs no justification
• Kant is not interested in art per se but in Beauty of the Sublime
• Beauty or sublimity → ways in which we respond to objects
4. Art as an Escape
• the artists’ work of art reveal the emotional outburst that has been kept for many
years in their mind (Señeres et al., 2008).
• cathartic solutions to one’s anxiety and life’s difficulties
5. Art as Functional
• art serves a function; it is meant to be used to enrich lives
