Art, Science, and a Balanced Life essays

Art, Science, and a Balanced Life essays One of the things that differentiate the human race from other forms of life is our ability to reason. The uniqueness of each individual, however, causes us to reason in different ways. An individual's reasoning can be categorized into two primary groups: reasoning based on emotion and instinct versus reasoning based on logic and concrete facts. These two categories are sometimes known as art and science, respectively. It is commonly believed that "Art upsets, while science reassures," however further philosophical analysis questions this, by examining "Science reassures, while art upsets" as an equally valid statement. Although both art and science are branches of knowledge that have the ability to simultaneously reassure and upset, they use different approaches in their formation. Art is the spontaneous documentation of emotions based on one's own perception of life. This is contrasted with science, which is a systemized process involving observation and experiments that results in the formation of a hypothesis leading to a theory. Science that is at the foundation is systematized, based on logic, and has a set structure. The laboratory science, however, can be messy and tentative, complicating the question of whether science upsets or reassures. A scientific fact can be fully explained, leaving nothing to chance or imagination. It is interesting to note that the famous quote, "Art upsets, science reassures", was made by the French sculptor, painter, and designer, Georges Braque. The difficulty one experiences with art is its inability to be explained due to its basis on feelings experienced by no two individuals. Art is upsetting because one cannot convey the exact picture or feelings that he has towards a piece of art. Ironically, in the words of Braque, "There is only one valuable thing in art: the thing you cannot explain." A feeling of discouragement is often felt when you cannot explain the beauty you see, instead, others m...