Do We Need Art?
In a world full of urgent problems like poverty, disease, and climate change, spending time and resources on art can seem like an indulgence.
Yet humans have been making art since we lived in caves, suggesting that creative expression fulfills some deep need beyond mere survival. This raises fundamental questions about what art actually does for us and whether it's essential to human flourishing.
The question becomes more complex when we consider what counts as art and what it means to "need" something. Is art a luxury for those who have solved their basic problems, or does it serve functions we don't fully understand? How do we weigh the value of beauty, meaning, and creative expression against more tangible needs?
Our conversation will explore:
What does art provide that nothing else can?
Is art essential to being human or just a pleasant addition?
How do we justify spending on art when other needs exist?
Do We Need Art?
In a world full of urgent problems like poverty, disease, and climate change, spending time and resources on art can seem like an indulgence.
Yet humans have been making art since we lived in caves, suggesting that creative expression fulfills some deep need beyond mere survival. This raises fundamental questions about what art actually does for us and whether it's essential to human flourishing.
The question becomes more complex when we consider what counts as art and what it means to "need" something. Is art a luxury for those who have solved their basic problems, or does it serve functions we don't fully understand? How do we weigh the value of beauty, meaning, and creative expression against more tangible needs?
Our conversation will explore:
What does art provide that nothing else can?
Is art essential to being human or just a pleasant addition?
How do we justify spending on art when other needs exist?
In a world full of urgent problems like poverty, disease, and climate change, spending time and resources on art can seem like an indulgence.
Yet humans have been making art since we lived in caves, suggesting that creative expression fulfills some deep need beyond mere survival. This raises fundamental questions about what art actually does for us and whether it's essential to human flourishing.
The question becomes more complex when we consider what counts as art and what it means to "need" something. Is art a luxury for those who have solved their basic problems, or does it serve functions we don't fully understand? How do we weigh the value of beauty, meaning, and creative expression against more tangible needs?
Our conversation will explore:
What does art provide that nothing else can?
Is art essential to being human or just a pleasant addition?
How do we justify spending on art when other needs exist?
Conversation Catalysts
At Premise, a Conversation Catalyst is a short story, essay, film, or poem that sparks reflection and connection. It’s the shared reference point that grounds each session and opens the door to meaningful and deep conversation.
Art as Experience by John Dewey (selections)
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (Selected Chapters: “Everyone Is a Creator,” “Why Make Art?,” “Memories and the Subconscious”)
“Poetry Is Not a Luxury” by Audre Lorde
Preparation: < 1.5 hours
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Art has always been part of human life, from cave paintings to contemporary music and film. Yet its necessity is often questioned in a world facing urgent problems like poverty, disease, and climate change. Is art an indulgence for those with spare time and resources, or does it fulfill a deeper need that is essential to being human? This session explores how philosophy, creativity, and activism each make the case that art is not optional but central to human flourishing.
John Dewey, Art as Experience
Dewey presents art as essential to human life because it creates complete and unified experiences that bring coherence to our otherwise fragmented existence. Genuine artistic experience involves the whole person and transforms both creator and audience. For Dewey, art is not a luxury but a fundamental need that deepens our engagement with the world.
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Art as Experience by John Dewey (selections)
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (Selected Chapters: “Everyone Is a Creator,” “Why Make Art?,” “Memories and the Subconscious”)
“Poetry Is Not a Luxury” by Audre Lorde
Preparation: < 1.5 hours
Art has always been part of human life, from cave paintings to contemporary music and film. Yet its necessity is often questioned in a world facing urgent problems like poverty, disease, and climate change. Is art an indulgence for those with spare time and resources, or does it fulfill a deeper need that is essential to being human? This session explores how philosophy, creativity, and activism each make the case that art is not optional but central to human flourishing.
John Dewey, Art as Experience
Dewey presents art as essential to human life because it creates complete and unified experiences that bring coherence to our otherwise fragmented existence. Genuine artistic experience involves the whole person and transforms both creator and audience. For Dewey, art is not a luxury but a fundamental need that deepens our engagement with the world.
Conversation Catalysts
At Premise, a Conversation Catalyst is a short story, essay, film, or poem that sparks reflection and connection. It’s the shared reference point that grounds each session and opens the door to meaningful and deep conversation.
Art as Experience by John Dewey (selections)
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (Selected Chapters: “Everyone Is a Creator,” “Why Make Art?,” “Memories and the Subconscious”)
“Poetry Is Not a Luxury” by Audre Lorde
Text Set A
Preparation: < 1.5 hours
Session Description
Art has always been part of human life, from cave paintings to contemporary music and film. Yet its necessity is often questioned in a world facing urgent problems like poverty, disease, and climate change. Is art an indulgence for those with spare time and resources, or does it fulfill a deeper need that is essential to being human? This session explores how philosophy, creativity, and activism each make the case that art is not optional but central to human flourishing.
John Dewey, Art as Experience
Dewey presents art as essential to human life because it creates complete and unified experiences that bring coherence to our otherwise fragmented existence. Genuine artistic experience involves the whole person and transforms both creator and audience. For Dewey, art is not a luxury but a fundamental need that deepens our engagement with the world.
He asks: How does art create experiences that are more complete and satisfying than ordinary life? What makes aesthetic experience different from other forms of human activity?
Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being (selected chapters)
Rubin describes creativity as a universal human capacity. He argues that everyone has the ability to create and that making art fulfills deep psychological and spiritual needs. By exploring how memory and the subconscious fuel artistic expression, he shows that creating art helps us process experience and connect with our inner selves.
He asks: What drives the universal human impulse to create? How does making art help us understand our lives and identities? What role does creativity play in living fully?
Audre Lorde, “Poetry Is Not a Luxury”
Lorde insists that poetry is not ornamental but necessary for survival and transformation. Creative expression, she argues, enables marginalized people to imagine new realities and turn silence into language and action. For Lorde, poetry provides vision, strength, and freedom, making it indispensable rather than optional.
She asks: In what ways can art be a tool for survival and liberation? How does Lorde’s framing shift our understanding of art from luxury to necessity? How does her view connect with or challenge Dewey’s and Rubin’s perspectives on art?
Text Set A
Preparation: < 1.5 hours
Session Description
Art has always been part of human life, from cave paintings to contemporary music and film. Yet its necessity is often questioned in a world facing urgent problems like poverty, disease, and climate change. Is art an indulgence for those with spare time and resources, or does it fulfill a deeper need that is essential to being human? This session explores how philosophy, creativity, and activism each make the case that art is not optional but central to human flourishing.
John Dewey, Art as Experience
Dewey presents art as essential to human life because it creates complete and unified experiences that bring coherence to our otherwise fragmented existence. Genuine artistic experience involves the whole person and transforms both creator and audience. For Dewey, art is not a luxury but a fundamental need that deepens our engagement with the world.
He asks: How does art create experiences that are more complete and satisfying than ordinary life? What makes aesthetic experience different from other forms of human activity?
Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being (selected chapters)
Rubin describes creativity as a universal human capacity. He argues that everyone has the ability to create and that making art fulfills deep psychological and spiritual needs. By exploring how memory and the subconscious fuel artistic expression, he shows that creating art helps us process experience and connect with our inner selves.
He asks: What drives the universal human impulse to create? How does making art help us understand our lives and identities? What role does creativity play in living fully?
Audre Lorde, “Poetry Is Not a Luxury”
Lorde insists that poetry is not ornamental but necessary for survival and transformation. Creative expression, she argues, enables marginalized people to imagine new realities and turn silence into language and action. For Lorde, poetry provides vision, strength, and freedom, making it indispensable rather than optional.
She asks: In what ways can art be a tool for survival and liberation? How does Lorde’s framing shift our understanding of art from luxury to necessity? How does her view connect with or challenge Dewey’s and Rubin’s perspectives on art?
Conversation Catalysts
At Premise, a Conversation Catalyst is a short story, essay, film, or poem that sparks reflection and connection. It’s the shared reference point that grounds each session and opens the door to meaningful and deep conversation.
More conversation catalysts coming soon!
Text Set B
Preparation: < 1.5 hours
Session Description
At Premise, we’re always growing. Our sessions are shaped not only by the enduring questions we ask but also by the ideas and contributions of our participants and Chapter Leaders. We are a constructivist learning community, which means we build our learning experiences together.
More text sets for this question are on the way. Each one will follow our approach: short enough to prepare in under three hours, substantial and thought-provoking enough to spark deep discussion, and accessible to a wide audience.
In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you. If you have a suggestion for a story, essay, film, or poem that belongs here, please share it in the section below.
Text Set A
Preparation: < 1.5 hours
Session Description
Art has always been part of human life, from cave paintings to contemporary music and film. Yet its necessity is often questioned in a world facing urgent problems like poverty, disease, and climate change. Is art an indulgence for those with spare time and resources, or does it fulfill a deeper need that is essential to being human? This session explores how philosophy, creativity, and activism each make the case that art is not optional but central to human flourishing.
John Dewey, Art as Experience
Dewey presents art as essential to human life because it creates complete and unified experiences that bring coherence to our otherwise fragmented existence. Genuine artistic experience involves the whole person and transforms both creator and audience. For Dewey, art is not a luxury but a fundamental need that deepens our engagement with the world.
He asks: How does art create experiences that are more complete and satisfying than ordinary life? What makes aesthetic experience different from other forms of human activity?
Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being (selected chapters)
Rubin describes creativity as a universal human capacity. He argues that everyone has the ability to create and that making art fulfills deep psychological and spiritual needs. By exploring how memory and the subconscious fuel artistic expression, he shows that creating art helps us process experience and connect with our inner selves.
He asks: What drives the universal human impulse to create? How does making art help us understand our lives and identities? What role does creativity play in living fully?
Audre Lorde, “Poetry Is Not a Luxury”
Lorde insists that poetry is not ornamental but necessary for survival and transformation. Creative expression, she argues, enables marginalized people to imagine new realities and turn silence into language and action. For Lorde, poetry provides vision, strength, and freedom, making it indispensable rather than optional.
She asks: In what ways can art be a tool for survival and liberation? How does Lorde’s framing shift our understanding of art from luxury to necessity? How does her view connect with or challenge Dewey’s and Rubin’s perspectives on art?