Art and Function

• What did Ambrose Bierce suggest about the definition of art in his 1906 Devil's Dictionary?

  Ambrose Bierce suggested that the word "art" has no single definition.
• Why do people continue to express themselves aesthetically through art?

  Because it has survival value, implying an evolutionary reason for its continuation.
• What is the etymology of the word "art"?

  "art" comes from Old French and Latin, meaning "skill as a result of learning or practice."
• How do Sesotho's praise poems contribute to the community's awareness, according to Damane and Sanders?

  Sesotho praise poems deepen the community's awareness of itself as a historically continuous entity and encourage conformity to socially approved modes of behavior.
• In what way does the ritual performance of the Bwiti cult aid in resolving cognitive dissonance, as explained by Fernandez?

  by integrating past and present experiences.
• Why is body ornamentation said to be selectively valuable, according to Drewal and Drewal?

  Body ornamentation is selectively valuable for attracting mates, differentiating individuals, impressing others, and indicating status or condition.
• Why have evolutionary biologists refrained from attributing selective value to art?

  because they have not recognized its universal presence in human nature.
•  What role does art play in echoing or reflecting the natural world, according to Lakoff and Johnson?


  Art plays a role in echoing or reflecting the natural world of which humans are a part.