For artists and natural scientists, which is more important: what can be explained or what cannot be explained? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.
The knowledge that cannot be explained should be a collective agreement between multiple groups that such knowledge cannot be justified confidently without any bias or assumptions. Knowledge can be clarified in multiple ways, such as through logical means via experimentation and observations (natural sciences). It can also be justified by subjective opinions, which, even though they might be biased, shouldn’t be taken into account (arts).
There are circumstances that need to be explained with reference to proof. However, our knowledge is still limited and the discovery or uncovering of new knowledge is still an ongoing process. Therefore, there is knowledge that can be explained and knowledge that cannot yet be explained. What can and cannot be explained differs in terms of the natural sciences and the arts. What can be explained in natural science refers to knowledge with empirical evidence, which is a deciphering of new knowledge using similarities from previously deciphered evidential knowledge. What can be explained in art, however, refers to the perspectives of the artist while also encouraging individuals’ provision of their perspectives while giving importance to ideas in regard to feelings.
The value of art that cannot be explained is based on its ability to connect with the audience on a metaphysical level, as opposed to focusing on a given definition. Importance is given to natural sciences that cannot be explained, as it leads to innovation and falsification of previous theories, which can provide more accurate results. Also, this question has no definitive answer because it relies on the artist or natural scientist in this question. It solely depends on what individuals believe. They may believe that describing what can be witnessed and measured is more crucial. Others may consider that phenomena that cannot be explained are more intriguing and deserving of investigation.
What cannot be explained with the natural sciences can be explained with the help of art. This claim will be shown with a piece of graffiti art made in response to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on March 17. The jigsaw pieces can signify the missing information. It can also be considered symbolism. The artist here is trying to express the lack of knowledge when it came to the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 – even if there are pieces of the puzzle that can be put together, there are still a lot of areas concerning the crash that are still relatively unknown to this day.
Works of art have the power to connect with their respective audience on a metaphysical and highly abstract level of interpretation, ultimately leading to the artist creating a personal expression of themselves, as well as a truly personal experience that varies between person to person, depending on their level of knowledge, understanding, and interpretation. Going back to the graffiti example, an air traffic safety specialist, a data scientist/statistician, and a pilot can have a highly technical, yet incredibly abstract interpretation of this piece of art, as their knowledge surrounding this real-life event is more technical. On the other hand, families of the casualties involved in the disappearance of Flight 370 may experience a myriad of feelings, such as remembering the loss of a loved one, or the solace of understanding that there are still people who are highly concerned about why this event happened in the first place.
Speaking of experiences, it is often mentioned that a visual description of a certain event can speak more about it than words ever could. Aside from the fact that the artist creates an incredibly personal and unique experience for each and every person who tries to understand and appreciate a piece of art, artists can also depict socio-cultural experiences that transform understanding of culture. For instance, Caravaggio’s “David With The Head Of Goliath” conveys a feeling of victory, as well as a strong appreciation and admiration for biblical allusions, the Holy Bible, and Christianity as a whole. Another example of this can be seen in Mantegna’s “Portrait Of Carlo de Medici”, where viewers are open to think, understand, relate to, and reflect on the importance of the expressions of the subject in this famous portrait. As a matter of fact, I strongly believe that a lot of emotions can be effectively conveyed through the use of the arts as well.
Furthermore, art is also a cultural expression of the masses, by the masses, and for the masses. This can expand knowledge and thus, make people think, broadening the world surrounding it. In other words, expression of sentiment through the use of the visual and cultural arts can aid the documentation of historical events, such as documentaries by National Geographic, or political cartoons by Paul Conrad, Michael Ramirez, and so on. Moreover, even if a lot of the sentiments expressed in modern art today may come across as a slightly exaggerated view of reality, art does indeed have the power to explain the unexplainable and transform areas of knowledge surrounding the unexplainable through its invaluable contributions.
An example of things that cannot be explained in the art can be found in the movie “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”, a horror film released in 2005. This film is based on the experiences of a German woman, Anneliese Michel, who was born in 1952. At age 16, she began shaking uncontrollably and seeing demons. Doctors diagnosed her with grand mal epilepsy and psychosis. But her devoutly Catholic family believed demons had possessed her. It’s a movie based on paranormal activity. The reason this can not be explained is because there is no evidence of how she got possessed. Also, the doctors had diagnosed her with epilepsy, but Emily was already behaving like that even before the doctors had given her medicine.
It could have been epilepsy, but there are certain factors, such as symptoms like a sudden increase in strength. Movies in relation to the genre of horror are rather mysterious in order to keep the audience engaged with regard to unknown factors. This goes to show the juxtaposition of cultures, while still trying to convey expressions, emotions, and so on. In other words, the scientific side of things was not as clearly defined as they could have been, thus showing a limitation of the arts.
The second AOK I have chosen is natural science. The goal of natural science is to study the natural world and how it works. This is done through a methodical process of observation, evidence, and imagination applied to scientific models, which leads to generalizations (scientific claims) based on predictions. In natural science what can be explained is more important as an explanation necessary for the development of knowledge. Science is based on understanding natural phenomena, concerning my example of the preservation of an individual through the usage of chemicals for the process of mummification.
There will always be forms of knowledge, such as metaphysical claims, that exist outside the scope of science and scientific discoveries. We lack the means to demonstrate the existence of transcendental claims, so this knowledge will always evade effective scientific investigation. In addition, other knowledge, such as knowledge of other planets and life forms, will always evade scientific discovery because we lack the means to explore the universe beyond our own, and there may be a thousand more galaxies beyond our universe.
It is currently unknown how far scientific capabilities will advance, and it is always possible that new technologies will enable us to investigate metaphysical claims and worlds other than our own. Because metaphysics exists in a world that transcends the physical, it is more difficult for me to believe that it will ever be demonstrated by science or justified by experiment. Due to our limited understanding of the brain, we cannot fully investigate the veracity of knowledge that originates from the mental world. Science is the study of the physical, and due to the subjectivity of the subjective world, metaphysical knowledge will likely remain outside the realm of science.
The example for natural science that is explained with reference to chemistry, the mummies give an example that has to do with the natural sciences The process of mummification involves removing the body’s organs, except for the heart, and drying it with natron, which is a naturally occurring salt made up of sodium carbonate, sodium sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, and sodium sulfate. The reason why this can be considered is explained due to how we know the science behind the process. Also, science is used for the development of humanity, so the unexplained cannot help in human development till it gets explained.
Another example through which chemicals and natural sciences have been used for the advancement of the knowledge of the world and how certain things work, is the invention of “stains” for microscopes. In a microscope, it is often difficult to see certain specimens in direct sunlight. However, staining a specimen allows it to absorb more light (as one might be aware, the whole concept of color works on the basis of the absorption and reflection of light), and therefore, the specimen that can be used for analysis can be seen more clearly to the observer.
In conclusion, what can be explained is more important in natural sciences, and what cannot be explained is important in art. I strongly feel that this is because it can explain things that the other areas of knowledge cannot explain. because it can explain beauty better than other AOKs. I also think that art is able to connect with the feelings and emotions of the audience. With reference to my example the movie “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”, it’s a movie based on paranormal activity, and the reason I think that arts can explain this and Natural Science can not is because natural sciences delves into why paranormal activity occurs, instead of how paranormal activity occurs, and how it impacts people. This further goes to show that although being highly contradictory in many more aspects than one, the arts and the natural sciences do have the power to go hand-in-hand to broaden cultures, perspectives, and the knowledge that we share about the world as a whole.
