Six ideas in process philosophy lend themselves to the notion that the universe as a whole, and each actuality within it, is an artistic activity. They are (1) that the universe is a creative advance into novelty, (2) that each actuality in the universe is alive with feeling and aims at beauty, (3) that each actuality has its own self-creativity by which it creates itself in relation to the rest of the world, (4) that actualities can and do actualize "novel" possibilities, (5) that the outcomes of their activities, novel or otherwise, are aesthetic achievements, and (6) that the universe includes within its depths a divine eros toward beauty. Combined, these ideas enable us to look at hills, rivers, mountains, trees, stars, galaxies, and people as outcomes of artistic processes, conscious or unconscious, even as we might also understand them scientifically, and to recognize that human arts and crafts are ways of extending and participating in the art of the universe.
To this can be added the idea that all human art, as working with materials from the more-than-human world, including matter and energy in its various forms, is collaborative with the creativity of the more-than-human world and is, thus, co-creative. No person is an island and no artist works alone, even if she works in solitude. Always there is the more-than-human world, including the "natural world" around her and her hands and eyes and ears. Creativity is always eco-creativity.
We can also recognize that ordinary life itself, as lived moment by moment, in healthy relations with other people, other animals, the earth, and the heavens, is an ongoing process of participating in universal creativity and, when healthy, responding to the divine eros toward beauty. Understood in this way, the very living of a life is, or can be, "art," even if we don't think of ourselves as artists. Our task, as human beings, is then to make art of our lives, adding beauty to the world. Many will add that the most important kinds of beauty we can add are love and wonder: love for one another, for plants and animals and the earth, and wonder in relation to the stars and planets and galaxies. Love and wonder, not fame, fortune, and power, are our "aesthetic achievements."
This rest of this page offers further reflections on process and art, aimed at encouraging artists and others to recognize the cosmological significance of their craft, whatever it is, and encouraging us all, whether or not we think of ourselves as artists, to recognize that the very living of life is itself an art.
An Artistic Universe
six key ideas
Assume that art is an intentional expression of creativity aimed at the production of beauty, Whitehead's philosophy offers six ideas which, as combined, support the idea that the universe itself is an artistic process.
The Universe as a Creative Advance into Novelty
This refers to the ongoing process of the universe evolving into novelty. It is the continuous emergence of new forms, structures, and possibilities that make up the unfolding cosmos. This aspect of creativity is inherent in the very fabric of the universe, driving its evolution and diversification.
The Self-Creativity of Each Moment
Every moment in the history of an atom, molecule, or living cell is "creative" in the sense that it is self-creating. Even if this creativity involves merely repeating past patterns, it is still an act of creation. This form of creativity highlights the dynamic nature of existence, where each moment brings a new realization of potentialities.
The Call of Beauty in each Moment: Initial Aims
Whitehead proposes that the aim of the universe as a whole and each entity within it is to produce or create beauty. "The teleology of the universe," he says in Adventures of Ideas, "is the production of beauty." By beauty he does not mean prettiness or a insipid harmony where everything is perfectly satisfied. He means a quality of experience as enjoyed in the immediacy of the moment that is intensely harmonious but that can include tension, sorrow, and tragedy. And by "production" he means creativity in the previous three forms: the creative advance into novelty of the universe as a whole, the self-creativity of each actuality with its own subjective aim, and the actualization of novel possibilities.
Pan-intentionality: Every actuality has a subjective aim
Process philosophy is well known for its idea that "experience" goes all the way down into the depths of matter and all the way up to the heavens. Wherever there is experience, there is a "subjective aim" (Whitehead's phrase) for harmony and intensity, for richness of experience, for beauty. The subjective aim of a given actuality for richness of experience may not be conscious, but it is at the heart of the actuality at issue. If "art" presupposes the idea of intentionality, or aiming for beauty, there is this aiming at every level,
The Actualization of Novel Possibilities
In many cases creativity involves the self-creative actualization of new possibilities in the immediacy of a moment. Some creatures exhibit higher degrees of creativity than others, particularly when adapting to new environments or situations in unprecedented ways. This form of creativity is especially evident in adaptive behaviors and innovative responses to changing conditions.
God as the Poet of the universe
Whitehead proposes that the universe as a whole, with its myriad forms of existence and life in multiple dimensions, is enfolded within a cosmic mind or life which (or whom) he names God. God is not cut off from the universe: God is instead the living whole of the universe itself, not unlike the way in which we human beings, as living subjects with consciousness and feeling and purpose, are the living wholes of our own bodies. The universe is immanent with God and God is immanent within the universe as an inwardly felt eros which each actuality feels as a lure toward harmony and intensity in experience, toward Beauty. In this respect, says Whitehead, God is the poet of the world and the creativity of the universe is in part a response to the call of Beauty.
Many Kinds of Art
How many kinds of arts are there? If we disabuse ourselves of the idea that there is a sharp distinction between arts and crafts, or between "elite art" and "popular art," and also of the idea that in order to have aesthetic value art cannot also have practical value (e.g. furniture, clothing), then there are at least 251 kinds of art, as listed below - and no doubt many, many more.
From a process perspective, all are ways that human beings participate in and extend the creativity of the universe. All result in what Andrew Davis calls "aesthetic achievements," which parallel and add to the aesthetic achievements of actualities and events in the world: hills, rivers, trees, stars, flowers, seashells, mountains, coral reefs, auroras, deserts, atoms, molecules, stars, galaxies, supernovae, black holes, and much more. The human arts are ways of partnering with the wider world and adding to the already-existing works of art which are the universe itself. James Joyce is well known for his novel "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man." Someone needs to write a novel called "Portrait of the Artist as a Young (and evolving) Universe."
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With regard to human art, the fact that human art extends the creativity of the universe does not mean that all outcomes of the creativity of the universe are "good" in a moral sense.. Nor does it mean that are, or must be, judged as "good" by whatever standards seem relevant. Not all paintings and television shows, popular songs and athletic performances, are the same in terms of quality or excellence.
But it does mean that all 251 are instances of creativity. And it means that human arts are all collaborative. They work with materials from the more-than-human world, including the cells and muscles in the body and hands. Moreover, from the perspective of process-relational theology, they can all be seen as ways of responding to the lure of the divine in human life and in the more-than-human world, adding to the experience of God, the living whole of the universe, otherwise named the Poet of the world.
1. Visual Arts: animation, analog photography, assemblage, blown glass, calligraphy, caricatures, carpentry, charcoal drawing, collage, decorative painting, digital painting, digital photography, doll making, drawing, dyeing, embroidery, enameling, etching, face painting, fabric arts, fashion illustration, fine art photography, fire dancing, flower arranging, graffiti, hand-drawn animation, illustration, installation art, jewelry making, knitting, land art, macramé, medical illustration, metal sculpture, metalsmithing, mixed media, mosaics, origami, paper cutting, pastel drawing, pen and ink drawing, pencil drawing, photography, quilting, sand painting, sculpting, sewing, silversmithing, stained glass, stone sculpture, textile art, tinsmithing, toy making, watercolor painting, weaving, wood sculpture, woodcut printmaking, woodworking;
2. Performing Arts: acrobatics, ballet, body art, clowning, comedy, contemporary dance, drama, experimental performance art, fire dancing, folk dance, hand puppetry, improvisational theater, juggling, live art performance, marionettes, mime performance, modern dance, musical theater, opera, puppetry, shadow puppetry, spoken word performance, stage magic, sword swallowing, tap dance, theater, traditional dance;
3. Musical Arts: classical music, DJing, drumming, electronic music, film scoring, folk music, instrumental music, jazz music, musical theater, operetta, orchestra, percussion ensemble, pop music, recording, rock music, sacred music, singing, songwriting, symphony, vocal music, world music;
10. Therapeutic and Social Transformation Arts: art therapy, community art projects, cultural preservation art, environmental art, inclusive design, peacebuilding art, public art installations;
To these examples, we might also add the arts of living and loving: the Life Arts. These encompass a variety of practices and values. The Art of Living includes mindfulness and presence, gratitude, simplicity, adaptability, balance, and self-care. The Art of Loving involves empathy, active listening, kindness, forgiveness, communication, affection, and support. These can be enriched by philosophical and spiritual practices: prayer, meditation, curiosity, a love of learning. And both living and loving have a social and communal component: parenting, grandparenting, building community, civic engagement, and cultural appreciation. All are arts. The Life Arts are the most important of all, and the other arts, at their best, are in their service. They, too, are forms of creativity.
The Artist
What, then, is the role of an artist in human society? What do artists do, as artists, that economists don't do as economists, or politicians as politicians. I suggest that an artist functions in at least these ways.
Awakener: The artist fosters awareness of our connections with one another and the larger web of life
Motivator: The artist inspires us to take care of ourselves and the larger web of life,
Disturber: The artist disturbs us when we fall short of this care,
Philosopher: The artist communicates an implicit ontology of life, so that we sense our place in the larger web of life and our kinship with other creatures.
Wonder-maker: The artists creates objects and events that inspire awe, wonder, and other kinds of intense feeling.
Explorer: The artists explores possibilities and adds to the creative adventure of the universe.
The artist is someone who, with help from her materials and instruments, assumes these roles in varying degrees and ways and feels them as a vocation, a calling. She is drawn to these roles as a moth to a flame; they are part of what the philosopher Whitehead calls her subjective aim. Whitehead would add that, ultimately, all point toward Beauty. So, arguably, for reasons note above. we could consider all of these roles as calls to Beauty.
For reasons also noted above, the sixth one is especially important. Art is a way of collaborating with a deeper creativity that is found in the whole of the universe. Atoms and molecules, stars and planets, living cells and animal bodies - all are, in the words of process philosopher Andrew Davis, "aesthetic achievements."
Life Arts
1. The Creative Process of Living:
Process: As has been said, Whitehead emphasizes that reality is a process of becoming rather than a static being. Every moment is a creative act, where new possibilities emerge, and entities (including humans) are constantly forming and reforming their existence.
Artistry in Everyday Actions: In this view, every decision and action we take is a brushstroke on the canvas of our lives. Whether it's preparing a meal, gardening, engaging in conversation, or even how we respond to challenges, each act contributes to the ongoing creation of our personal and communal world.
2. Relationships as Art:
Relational Aesthetics: Process thought highlights the interconnectedness of all things. Beauty arises in the context of relationships—between people, between humans and animals, and between individuals and the natural environment. The quality of these relationships is akin to the quality of brushstrokes in a painting or notes in a piece of music.
Interpersonal Creativity: Engaging with others in empathetic and meaningful ways can be seen as an art form. Just as a musician must listen to others in an ensemble, we must attune ourselves to the needs, emotions, and perspectives of those around us, creating harmonious and dynamic interactions.
3. Aesthetic Values in Daily Life:
Pursuit of Beauty: Beauty, in process philosophy, is not confined to traditional art forms but is a fundamental aim of life. This beauty can be found in kindness, justice, compassion, and the creation of inclusive and vibrant communities.
Simple Acts of Creation: Activities like cooking a delicious meal, arranging a room to be welcoming, or tending to a garden are artistic practices. They transform ordinary tasks into expressions of beauty and care, enriching both the doer and those who experience the results.
4. Ecological Sensibility:
Art and Nature: Process theology encourages a deep appreciation of the natural world as a living, dynamic process. Engaging with nature, whether through conservation efforts, mindful walking, or simply appreciating its beauty, is seen as an artistic collaboration with the Earth.
Sustainability as Art: Living sustainably, in harmony with the environment, is an artistic endeavor that requires creativity, sensitivity, and an ongoing commitment to balance and beauty.
5. Improvising:
Embodied Creativity: Even stillness and silence, as in meditation or prayer, can be forms of artistic expression. They are ways of aligning oneself with the deeper rhythms of life and the universe, participating in the grand dance of existence.
Improvisation: Life, much like music or dance, often requires improvisation. Responding to life's unpredictability with grace and creativity is an art in itself, embodying the principles of process thought where each moment is an opportunity for novel and beautiful responses.
High Art, Low Art, and Democratization
What is the value of art in society? For a few people, most of them artists and art collectors, art is the telos of life, more important than religion and community and economic achievement. It is the consummation of human consciousness, and they want to give themselves to it. For others, at the opposite end of the spectrum, art is largely in the background of life. Life is about religion and community and economic achievement, not about art.
Many in contemporary society, in almost all parts of the world, are somewhere between these two extremes. If we are among them, our approach to art is mixed. Even if we do not understand or appreciate "high art," such as classical music, ballet, academic poetry, fine art painting, and sculpture. we appreciate and enjoy "low art" such as movies, popular music, television shows, and detective novels. We find pleasure in these various forms, and they are not comfortable with distinctions between "high" and "low," especially if "high" suggests superiority and elitism. We prefer to think of the difference in terms of audience not quality: perhaps distinguishing between popular art or art-for-the-many and elite art or art-for-the-few. We have nothing against art-for-the-few; we know we can learn from, say, an intentionally dense poem or avant-garde music, but we resist thinking in terms of better and worse. We know there can be bad art and good art. but we also recognize that such judgments are to some extent relative to the eyes (and ears) of the beholders.
Today these debates are becoming somewhat moot, because many of the older boundaries between high art and low art are blurring
Crossover: There is significant crossover and mutual influence between elite and popular art forms. For instance, pop art deliberately engages with popular culture; many filmmakers create works that appeal to both elite and popular audiences. Even the modernist poets of the 20th century, TS Eliot and Ezra Pound, for example, whose poems were read primarily by elites, found themselves drawn to the use of vernacular speech and not simply elitist speech. Eliot's mantrum was "make it difficult" and Pounds was "make it new," but they used non-elite, ordinary forms of speech as worthy of their poetry.
Cultural Influence of Popular Art: The cultural influence of popular art is increasingly recognized in universities, with attention to how it reflects and shapes societal values, identities, and experiences. Academics in universities teach courses in the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Hip-Hop, and Country, not simply because they know people listen to them, but because they want to understand the role of popular music in culture.
Democratization: A democratization of art through digital media and other platforms has challenged the exclusivity of elite art, making a wider range of artistic expressions accessible to more people. In these and other ways, easy distinctions between "high art" and "low art" are evaporating.
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The cultural influence of popular art through reproduction is a double-edged sword. Here the ideas of Walter Benjamin are important.
Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) was a German Jewish philosopher, cultural critic, and essayist, whose work covered various disciplines, including literature, aesthetics, and Marxist theory. He is particularly known for his essays "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" (1935) and "Theses on the Philosophy of History" (1940).
In "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," he explores how technological advancements, particularly photography and film, transform the nature and perception of art. He proposes that mechanical reproduction erodes the "aura" of artworks, which is their unique presence and authenticity rooted in history and tradition. This loss has a democratizing effect by making art widely accessible, shifting emphasis from the artwork's "cult value"—its sacred or ritualistic significance—to its "exhibition value," where its display and distribution become central.
Benjamin sees this democratization as a double-edged sword. It diminishes the unique aura of art, it also empowers the masses by making art more accessible and potentially fostering a more critical and politically engaged audience. He underscores the political potential of art in this new age, advocating for its role in political critique and resistance. And yet it can also be soporific, dulling critical faculties by reducing art to "entertainment" which inhibits critical faculties and diverts attention from the social issues that need to be addressed. As used by political movements, popular art can aestheticize popular consciousness, whereby those who enjoy it find themselves immersed in, say, soap operas but not critical analysis. Benjamin's analysis, grounded in Marxist historical materialism, shows how economic and technological shifts influence cultural production, reshaping how viewers perceive and interact with art, thus challenging traditional notions and fostering a more critical and democratized engagement with artistic works.
Richness of Experience
Yet, Whitehead insightfully notes, the absence of mutual inhibition is not sufficient to achieve deeply beautiful experience. Beauty requires not only the absence of conflict (harmony), but also the realization of new contrasts (intensity). It is through the realization of patterned contrasts that “new conformal intensities of feelings” are achieved. It is in the aim at intensity where the depth and richness of experience is purchased. “Thus the parts contribute to the massive feeling of the whole, and the whole contributes to the intensity of feeling of the parts”. Each occasion of experience aims at the achievement of beauty, then, in the sense that it seeks to bring the elements within its actual world together in a way that avoids the painful clash of conflicting ends (harmony) and furthermore seeks to relate these elements together in such a way as they not only avoid the conflict of mutual inhibition, but deepen the intensity of experience felt through the introduction of new contrasts.
- Brian Henning, "Recentering Process Thought beyond Metaphysics" (PDF)
In evaluating works of art or, for that matter, making art of your own life, it is important to emphasize, with Brian Henning, that beauty in art (and in life) is not about the absence of conflict alone, but also, and sometimes more importantly, about intensities of feeling. The beauty to be achieved is not mere pleasure, or happiness, or even a dulled, adventure-less peace. It is aliveness or vitality, enjoyed through contrasts. The universe itself bears witness to this. The history of the cosmos is not about harmony alone, but vitality and differentiation. We humans participate in that adventure when we, too, embrace the different forms of aliveness available to us, even as they may include pain.
Art and Ecology
"Much of early environmental ethics was born out of the belief that the ecological crisis can only truly be solved by overcoming a pernicious worldview that limits all intrinsic value to human beings. Returning to this originating impulse, Value, Beauty, and Nature contends that, to make progress within environmental ethics, philosophers must explicitly engage in environmental metaphysics. Grounded in an organicist process worldview, Brian G. Henning shows that it is possible to make progress in key debates within environmental philosophy, including those concerning the nature of intrinsic value; anthropocentrism; hierarchy; the moral significance of beauty; the nature of individuality; teleology and the naturalistic fallacy; and worldview reconstruction. A Whiteheadian fallibilistic, naturalistic, event ontology allows for the recovery of systematic, speculative metaphysical thought without a revanchist movement toward a necessitarian philosophia perennis. Thus, in contrast to the claims of environmental pragmatists, Value, Beauty, and Nature demonstrates that environmental ethics would greatly benefit from an adequate metaphysical foundation and, of the candidate metaphysical systems, Alfred North Whitehead's philosophy of organism is the most adequate." Brian G. Henning is Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies and Founding Director of the Center for Climate, Society, and the Environment at Gonzaga University. He is the author of many books, including The Ethics of Creativity: Beauty, Morality, and Nature in a Processive Cosmos.