TOK – Art and Knowledge and Human experience

When considering the types of knowledge in the arts, I think it is important to understand that arts doesn’t depend only on facts and is based on experiences, emotions and personal opinions as well. In my opinion, the knowledge that we find in art depends our interpretation of it. Every person has their own distinct interpretation based on their personal experiences and emotions. A person’s interpretation changes with time because they will have more new experiences as time passes. However, art is not an area of knowledge which allows completely opinion-based interpretations, which are unrelated to the factual reality of the work of the art. For example, Macbeth’s speech may convey multiple meanings to different people and even though there maybe more than one interpretation neither is right or wrong. However, “there are standards and expectations for the interpretation of a work of art” – (suggested reading – proof). On the whole, I think the the type of knowledge in the arts is personal knowledge because helps us learn more about ourselves, the natural world and human. For example, Shakespeare’s Macbeth helps us learn about the cruel and greedy nature because it is about a Scottish general who is blinded by his quest for power.

 

Art has a very unique and profound impact on humans because it stimulates a very deep emotional response. This type of knowledge is very difficult to describe because it can’t be easily put into words. For example, one work of art which had a significant impact is the movie series “Rocky”. I can’t exactly describe this work of art and its impact. However, the movie series was about a boxer and his rise to glory. In simple terms, this work of art showed me that I can overcome any challenges with perseverance. On the whole, I think different works of art can have a different impact on different people based on their interpretations of the work of art.

 

 

TOK – Compare and contrast arts and sciences

I think that comparing and contrasting the arts and sciences can help us demonstrate a deeper understanding about both The sciences and the arts.

The Similarities

The first similarity between sciences and arts is the assumption that scientific laws and the intended messages of arts don’t vary over time. For example, it has been assumed by scientists that the theory of conservation of energy will remain constant over time; similarly, the authors of literary works or the artists of paintings assume that the intended message/s of their works will remain the same throughout time even though the interpretations of the works may vary with time. Another similarity is that revelations in the sciences as well as the arts lead to a deeper insight about the natural world as well as human behaviour.

The Differences

In science, theories are not accepted unless they can be tested and verified by experimentation.  Also, in science, experimentation can be used to prove whether a theory is true or false. However, in the arts,  the question of whether and idea is true or false doesn’t make much sense because The Arts depend on the personal experiences and emotions of the people. Another difference between the arts and the sciences is that in science the accuracy and value of a theory can be quantified, whereas, in arts, the value of work can’t be determined because the interpretation of arts depends on personal opinions, experiences and emotions.  In science, the manipulation of data leads to inaccurate results and the formulation of false theories, which can have a major impact on society. However, in the arts, the manipulation of details happens and is allowed because arts depend on a person’s interpretation of details and events, which took place. For example, a paintings during world war 1 in Germany and modern day paintings in Germany may be very different because of the different experiences of people during those time periods. However, the gravitational constant was the same during the world war and during the first world war; and if the data used to compute the gravitational constant was false, the value would also be incorrect.

 

In my opinion, the preceding are the similarities and differences between the sciences and the arts.