Harrison

I really liked Harrison’s arguments for the development of art from ritual. Claiming both art and ritual stem from the same impulse, and that art is nothing more than a secularization of art, is an argument that more people need to be aware of. I know this idea of Harrisons has been presented a number of times throughout the class, but I think its importance is one of the things students should take away from this class. In acknowledging Harrison’s argument, one can see the deeper relations and meaning of art through its cousin ritual.

The impulse though that drives both art and ritual is something though that I think should be explored at a deeper level. The introduction of the birds mating patterns helps exemplify the all consumer power of the impulse. I think the impulse is the unconscious and uncontrollable reaction to any given phenomenon. The more awesome the phenomenon, the stronger the response. The example of the birds expresses the uncontrollability one has when under the spell of the impulse.

However, if the impulse is the reaction of a human being to given phenomena, what causes human beings to make the decision to produce art? Why do humans wish the share this experience?

I think really think this just gets down to basics about human beings and their attempts to understand the world for themselves and others. This relates back to the inter-subjective relationships human beings can have. Even though someone might not have been there, they can relate. They can understand the possibilities of human emotion and feeling through the power of empathy.

On this level, it seems art and ritual are still one in the same.