Leo Tolstoy, What Is Art? | Tolstoy's Definition of Art | Philosophy Core Concepts

Summary

Dr. Gregory Sadler, a philosophy professor and founder of Reason IO, introduces a series of short videos focusing on core concepts from philosophical texts. In this segment, he discusses Leo Tolstoy's 'What is Art?', exploring Tolstoy's rejection of traditional art definitions and his own, which views art as a means of emotional communication or 'communion' between the creator and audience, transcending time and space. Sadler highlights Tolstoy's emphasis on the shared experience of feelings as the essence of art, which allows for a deep connection across cultures and generations.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Dr. Gregory Sadler is a professor of philosophy and the founder of Reason IO, an educational consulting company.
• 📚 He has over 20 years of experience studying and teaching philosophy and helps students and lifelong learners understand classic philosophical texts.
• 📹 Dr. Sadler produces lecture videos, both long and short, to make philosophical concepts accessible, with the current series focusing on core concepts from important texts.
• 🖌️ Leo Tolstoy's 'What is Art?' is discussed, where he critiques existing definitions and offers his own, viewing art as a form of communication or communion.
• 🔍 Tolstoy rejects definitions of art based on beauty or pleasure, arguing they are insufficient to capture the essence of art.
• 🧬 He critiques the 'physiological evolutionary' definition of art, suggesting it explains the origin but not the essence of art.
• 🎭 Tolstoy also dismisses the 'practical definition' of art, which focuses on the expression of emotions, as it lacks the audience dependency that he believes is crucial.
• 🎨 Art, according to Tolstoy, must be both emotional and communicative, involving a shared experience between the producer and the audience.
• 🌐 Tolstoy emphasizes that art enables a communion that transcends time and space, allowing people to share feelings across generations and cultures.
• 📖 The definition of art by Tolstoy is normative, suggesting how art should be understood and appreciated rather than just describing it.

Q & A

Who is Dr. Gregory Sadler?

Dr. Gregory Sadler is a professor of philosophy and the president and founder of Reason IO, an educational consulting company that applies philosophy in practical ways.

What is the primary focus of Reason IO?

Reason IO focuses on putting philosophy into practice, helping students and lifelong learners understand and engage with philosophical concepts.

What difficulties does Dr. Sadler identify in reading classic philosophical texts?

Dr. Sadler finds that people often have difficulties with the way things are said or the structure of the text in classic philosophical works, even though the concepts themselves are not always complicated.

What is the purpose of the new series of shorter videos by Dr. Sadler?

The new series aims to focus on one core concept from an important philosophical text, making it easier for viewers to understand and engage with complex ideas.

What does Leo Tolstoy's work 'What is Art?' examine?

In 'What is Art?', Tolstoy examines and rejects various definitions of art, then provides his own definition, viewing art as a means of communication or communion between the producer and the audience.

According to Tolstoy, what is the essence of art?

Tolstoy believes that the essence of art lies in its ability to communicate feelings and create a sense of communion among people, transcending space, time, and culture.

What does Tolstoy reject in the definitions of art based on beauty?

Tolstoy rejects definitions that rely on beauty as something that can be defined or encapsulated, often involving metaphysics and the idea of beauty providing pleasure.

What is the 'physiological evolutionary' definition of art that Tolstoy mentions?

The 'physiological evolutionary' definition suggests that art emerges from sexuality and a propensity for play in the animal kingdom, associated with a pleasant excitation of nervous energy.

What is the issue with the 'practical definition' of art according to Tolstoy?

The issue with the 'practical definition' is that it does not account for the audience dependency; one can express emotions without affecting others, and without this effect, the expression is not considered art.

What is the problem with the definition of art that includes the production of a permanent object or passing action for enjoyment?

This definition is problematic because it could include activities that are not art, like magic tricks or gymnastic exercises, and it might exclude objects that produce an unpleasant impression but are still considered art.

What are the key elements of Tolstoy's definition of art?

Tolstoy's definition of art includes the communication of feelings through external signs with the purpose of affecting others, creating a sense of communion among people, including the audience and potentially other spectators.

How does Tolstoy view the role of emotions in art?

Tolstoy views emotions as essential to art, stating that the capacity of people to be infected by the feelings of others is the basis for the communicative power of art.

What is the significance of the audience in Tolstoy's conception of art?

In Tolstoy's view, the audience is crucial because art is meant to communicate feelings and create a shared experience, which constitutes the essence of art.

What does Tolstoy suggest about the communicability of art across time and space?

Tolstoy suggests that genuine art allows for communication of feelings across time and space, enabling people to understand and share in the experiences of others, even those from different eras or cultures.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Dr. Gregory Sadler's Philosophy Series

Dr. Gregory Sadler, a philosophy professor and founder of Reason IO, introduces a new series of videos aimed at simplifying complex philosophical concepts. With over 20 years of experience, he aims to make classic philosophical texts more accessible. The series focuses on core concepts from important texts, starting with Leo Tolstoy's 'What is Art?', where Tolstoy critiques existing definitions of art and proposes his own, viewing it as a form of communication or communion between the producer and audience, transcending space, time, and culture.

05:04

🎨 Tolstoy's Critique of Existing Art Definitions

In 'What is Art?', Leo Tolstoy examines and rejects various definitions of art based on beauty and pleasure, arguing that these fail to capture the essence of art. He critiques the physiological evolutionary definition, suggesting that while it may explain the origin of art, it does not define its essence. Tolstoy also addresses the practical definition of art, which focuses on the expression of emotions through various mediums, but he argues that this alone is insufficient without the intent to affect others, highlighting the importance of audience engagement in the definition of art.

10:07

🌐 Tolstoy's Definition of Art as Communion

Tolstoy presents his own definition of art as a means of communion among people, emphasizing the emotional connection between the artist and the audience. He argues that art enables the sharing of feelings, creating a bond that transcends time and space. This emotional communication is essential to art, and Tolstoy illustrates this with examples of 'emotional infection', where one person's feelings can influence others. He also notes that art requires intent to communicate feelings and the use of external signs, such as visual or auditory elements, to express those feelings.

15:11

🌟 The Universality and Timelessness of Art

Tolstoy's view of art extends to its ability to communicate emotions across generations, allowing individuals to connect with the feelings of others from different times and cultures. He suggests that genuine art provides a form of communion that is not limited by physical presence, enabling a shared emotional experience. This perspective highlights the importance of emotional communication in defining art and the potential for art to foster understanding and connection among people regardless of their temporal or cultural differences.

Keywords

💡Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. In the video, Dr. Gregory Sadler, a professor of philosophy, discusses philosophical concepts, indicating the script's focus on exploring deep and fundamental ideas about art, as examined by Leo Tolstoy.

💡Reason IO

Reason IO is an educational consulting company founded by Dr. Sadler, which aims to apply philosophical principles in practical settings. It serves as an example of how philosophical concepts can be integrated into everyday life and learning, which is a key theme in the video.

💡Classic Philosophical Texts

Classic philosophical texts refer to significant works in the field of philosophy that have stood the test of time. The script mentions difficulties people face when reading these texts, highlighting the video's purpose to make such complex material more accessible.

💡Concepts

Concepts in this context are the fundamental ideas or principles that underlie philosophical theories. The video aims to clarify these concepts, particularly those related to the definition and nature of art, as discussed by Tolstoy.

💡Communication

Communication is the process of sharing information, ideas, or feelings. In the script, Tolstoy defines art as a form of communication that connects the producer with the audience, emphasizing the relational aspect of art as a core theme.

💡Artefactual

Artefactual refers to something that is made or constructed by humans. The script uses this term to describe how art is expressed through tangible signs, which is an essential aspect of Tolstoy's definition of art.

💡Emotional Infection

Emotional infection is the phenomenon where one person's emotions can influence and spread to others. The script discusses this as a fundamental aspect of art, where the artist's feelings are conveyed and shared with the audience.

💡Definitions of Art

Definitions of art in the script are various perspectives on what constitutes art. Tolstoy rejects certain definitions and proposes his own, which is central to the video's exploration of the nature of art.

💡Aesthetic Pleasure

Aesthetic pleasure is the enjoyment derived from the appreciation of beauty or art. The script critiques definitions of art based solely on pleasure, suggesting that it is not the complete essence of art.

💡Practical Definition

The practical definition of art, as mentioned in the script, refers to art as an external manifestation of emotions. Tolstoy argues that this definition is imprecise because it does not account for the audience's role in the artistic experience.

💡Communion

Communion in the script refers to the shared experience or connection between the artist and the audience. Tolstoy's definition of art is based on this idea of communion, which is a key concept in understanding the relational and communicative nature of art.

Highlights

Dr. Gregory Sadler introduces himself as a professor of philosophy and founder of Reason IO, an educational consulting company.

Sadler has over 20 years of experience studying and teaching philosophy, aiming to make classic philosophical texts accessible.

He discusses creating a new series of short videos focused on core concepts from important philosophical texts.

In Leo Tolstoy's 'What is Art?', various definitions of art are examined and rejected before presenting Tolstoy's own definition.

Tolstoy's definition views art as a form of communication or communion between the producer and the audience.

Art is described as having to be artefactual, expressed in outward signs, and serving a communicative purpose.

Tolstoy rejects definitions of art based on beauty or pleasure alone, arguing they are insufficient.

The 'physiological evolutionary' definition of art is critiqued for focusing on the origin rather than the essence of art.

The 'practical definition' of art is discussed, which considers art as an external manifestation of emotions.

Tolstoy argues that the practical definition is imprecise because it doesn't account for the audience's experience.

A third definition associates art with the production of objects or actions that give pleasure to both producer and audience.

Tolstoy critiques this definition for including non-artistic activities and excluding some things that are clearly art.

Tolstoy's own definition emphasizes art as a central condition of human life, providing communion among people.

Art is seen as a means of emotional communication, where the audience can experience the same feelings as the producer.

Tolstoy asserts that art must have a purpose of communicating feelings to others and be expressed through external signs.

He discusses the wide range of feelings that can constitute the subject of art, from the most diverse to the most significant.

Tolstoy's definition allows for artistic communication over time and space, enabling a shared experience across different audiences.

The video concludes with a discussion on the normative nature of Tolstoy's definition of art, suggesting it's more than just descriptive.

Transcripts

hi this is dr. Gregory Sadler I'm a

professor of philosophy and the

president and founder of an educational

consulting company called reason IO

where we put philosophy into practice

I've studied and taught philosophy for

over 20 years and I find that many

people run into difficulties reading

classic philosophical texts sometimes

it's the way things are said or how the

text is structured but the concepts

themselves are not always that

complicated and that's where I come in

to help students and lifelong learners

I've been producing longer lecture

videos and posting them to youtube many

viewers say they find them useful what

you're currently watching is part of a

new series of shorter videos each of

them focused on one core concept from an

important philosophical text I hope you

find it useful as well

in the course of his short work what is

art leo tolstoy will first examine a

number of already provided definitions

of art which he rejects and then provide

his own in his view superior definition

that figures art as a means of

communication or communion between the

producer the audience and potentially

other spectators or auditors or whoever

is experiencing the art so it's a mode

of communication

spanning quite a potential distance in

space or time or culture and it also has

to be artefactual it's it's expressed in

outward signs and there's there's also

that the purpose of communication there

so that in an essence is his definition

of art and in Chapter five he's going to

provide this and flesh it out he begins

chapter five first by rejecting other

definitions and he has already examined

a number in earlier chapters based on

Beauty understood is as something that

could be defined or encapsulated in some

way generally relying on some sort of

metaphysics and beauty involving

pleasure so so we get a rejection of

ways of understanding art then

essentially frame it in terms of the

pleasure that is being provided by the

work of art to the spectator or observer

or you might say the the consumer so he

puts that aside and then he says there's

a few other definitions attempts to

characterize art that we need to get out

of the way as well he calls one of these

the physio evolutionary typing and

that's quite interesting he says that

the latest and most comprehend

definitions of our independent of the

concept of beauty would include the

following art is an activity already

emerging in the animal kingdom out of

sexuality and a propensity for play he

says this comes from Schiller Darwin and

Spencer accompanied by a pleasant

excitation of nervous energy grant and

Alan are the people talking about that

so he calls this the physiological

evolutionary definition and he says this

doesn't really work to explain what art

would be it may in fact provide us with

some feature of why artworks are

produced it could be that there is an

element of play there but he says that

it's imprecise because it speaks not of

the activity that constitutes the

essence of art but the the origin of art

and Tolstoy is saying you can have all

that sort of stuff and we could bring in

psychoanalytic discussions as well or

any of that but the origins by

themselves doesn't get us the the

essence the what makes art art now

another interesting attempt that he

talks about he calls the practical

definition of art so he says art is an

external manifestation by means of lines

colors gestures sounds or words of

emotions experienced by man and he says

this comes from viral causes the

practical definition and he says that

the practical definition is imprecise

why because a person can express their

emotions by means of lines colour sounds

and words without affecting others by it

and the expression will then not be art

so there is a audience dependency you

could say so the the piece that is

produced by the

I know let's say musician and it's never

heard by anyone else is it really art

Tolstoy would say no I think a lot of us

would probably say yeah of course it's

just art that's not being heard but

Tolstoy has something else in mind

that he thinks is that the essence of

art then there's a third definition

that's provided and he doesn't give a

name to this but he but he associates

this with Sulli art is the production of

some permanent object or passing action

which is fitted here's a couple

conditions not only to supply an act of

enjoyment to the producer but to convey

a pleasurable impression to a number of

spectators or listeners quite apart from

any personal advantage to be derived

from it so art then becomes something

that gives pleasure both to the person

producing the art that's pleasant to

engage in the art at least at some stage

of it may be the preparatory stuff is

not about that Pleasant right or

shelling out plenty of money for for

colors is not all that Pleasant but the

the production is and then the the

audience the receivers they get some

pleasure out of it and there's no

there's no practical gain in the process

and Tolstoy says well you know that's

not bad but he says under this

definition could be included the

performance of magic tricks gymnastic

exercises and other activities that are

not art and on the other hand many

objects that produce an unpleasant

impression as for example a gloomy cruel

scene and a poetic description er in the

theater are unquestionably works of art

so it fails in in two different ways it

includes too much on the one side and it

fails to include some things that we

would say are definitely art on the

other side so what is Tolstoy going to

offer before we look at that notice that

he's not totally rejecting all of these

and saying those have nothing to do with

art

as a matter of fact when it comes to the

practical the expression of emotion side

of it emotion or feeling is going to

play an important part and expression of

that is going to play an important part

it's just not enough for a definition of

art and providing pleasure K Tolstoy is

is rather suspicious of the pleasant

part but one of the things that the the

Sulli definition does get at is that

there's something going on not just for

the audience but also for the person

producing they're engaged in something

together and in Sully's case he's

talking about pleasure in Tolstoy his

case he's talking about something else

so let's look at Tolstoy his own

characterization or a definition of art

he tells us that the mistake that they

have made is not considering art as one

of the conditions of human life

something absolutely central to human

life so he says if we consider art this

way

we cannot fail to see that art is a

means of what use this word communion

communion among people and then he goes

on and he says every work of art results

in the one who receives it the spectator

the auditor the observer the consumer

entering into a certain kind of

communication with the one who produced

or is producing the art so we're gonna

have a little bit more in just a second

but well think about that what this

means is that genuine works of art works

that are expressive of the very essence

of art are going to be providing

communion whatever that communion is

going to be between the person or

persons who are engaged in producing it

and the audience

could be there at the present time or

could be distant by millennia think

about us and Homer for example when we

read The Iliad now Homer you know of

course people are gonna point out we're

not really sure if there was a single

guy named Homer or if it was sort of an

ensemble of people working at things

that just reinforces Tolstoy point those

producers working through that as a

troop or ensemble or as a bunch of

people over a couple hundred years using

each other's composition would also be

in that communion a growing and

developing communion with each other

so it's a communion among people now

notice what else he says about this

though it's not just between the

producer and the observer it's between

observers and other observers he says

it's communion with all of those who

simultaneously with him before him or

after him have received or will receive

the same artistic impression so it

offers the potentiality of reaching an

audience some of whom are not yet born

and yet who we would be in a kind of

communion with something you know that

that spans the the ages what is this

communion so Tolstoy says that the

communion is essentially about feelings

he says that here we go as the word

which conveys men's thoughts and

experiences serves to unite people so

art serves in precisely the same way but

the peculiarity of this means of

communication is that through the word

or through through art people convey

their feelings to each other so the

activity of art is based on the fact

that people as they receive through

hearing or sight the expression of

another person's feelings is capable of

experiencing the same feelings as the

one

expresses them so when I listen to a

work of music

let's take stuff that's you know kind of

easy low-hanging fruit with this I'm

listening to you know a gorgeous

romantic composition and it's supposed

to convey the feeling of triumph over

adversity or something like that

according to Tolstoy if I'm in communion

through that work of art with the

composer or perhaps we might also say

with the director of the players all the

people who made the the thing that I'm

listening to then they're feeling that

feeling I'm also feeling that feeling as

well

he doesn't specify precisely I mean it

do we feel it like 95 percent

identically or is it does it suffice to

feel it and kind of broad strokes the

same way you know because he doesn't

have to this is something that we could

work out on our own but the feelings are

shared in and he talks about examples of

what he you know has come to be called

emotional infection right but also

sharing the same kind of experience so

he says think about a simple example a

person laughs another person feels merry

he weeps and the person who hears this

weeping feels sad a man is excited

annoyed and another looking at him gets

into the same state with his movements

the sound of his voice a person displays

cheerfulness determination around the

contrary dejection calm and this mood is

communicated to others and he talks

about this capacity of people to be

infected by the feelings of other people

and he says art is based upon this that

doesn't mean that art is entirely that

but that's something essential to art

now is that enough to make it art he

says no there's there's two other

conditions that are going to come up in

here one is that there has to be a

purpose of communicating to others so

the mere fact have come

and being ticked off that you know the

train didn't run on time and I got rain

died and all that and I take off my coat

in an angry way and you know somebody

asks me how are you doing here this day

sucks stupid street car didn't stop

where it was supposed to right that's

not yet art even though it may in fact

be communicating my feeling to the other

person who then according to Tolstoy

would have to get angry or have some

kind of emotional response consonants

with it

due to my my expressing my feelings I

have to have a purpose of communicating

my feelings to other and that's part of

what makes for working in an artistic

medium for somebody like Tolstoy then

that's the other key thing there has to

be an expression as he says by external

signs and he says art begins when a

person with the purpose of communicating

to other people a feeling he wants

experience calls it up again within

himself and expresses it by certain

external signs so he goes on and he says

a little bit later he's talking about a

wide range of feelings he says feelings

the most diverse very strong and very

weak very significant and very worthless

very bad and very good if only they

infect the reader the spectator the

listener constitute the subject of art

the feeling of self-denial and

submission to fate or God portrayed in a

drama the raptures of lovers described

in a novel a feeling of sensuous

described in a painting the briskness

conveyed by a triumphal march and music

the gaiety evoke by a dance the

comicality caused by a funny anecdote

the feeling of peace conveyed by an

evening landscape or lulling song all of

this is art so all of these things

qualify if there is in fact an emotional

communication taking place as art 4/4

Tolstoy and the one last thing that I do

want to talk about with this definition

is the fact that as we've mentioned

earlier this allows you could say

communication over a distance and so he

says that just as owing to our capacity

for understanding thoughts expressed in

words any person can learn all that

mankind has done for them in the realm

of thought can in the present owing to

the capacity for understanding other

people's thoughts participate in other

people's activity and can himself convey

thoughts he's received from others to

his contemporary and his posterity

there's a similar thing going on with

art he says owing to man's capacity for

being infected by other people's

feelings through art he has access to

all that mankind has experienced before

him in the realm of feeling provided as

conveyed through the artwork he has

access to the feelings experienced by

his contemporaries to feelings lived by

other men thousands of years ago and

it's possible for him to convey his

feelings to other people so this was a

very optimistic sort of viewpoint the

communicability of what's going on in

art right genuine art according to

Tolstoy allows us to respond in such a

way as to be able to grasp what's going

on in other people's art now that may be

a little optimistic it may be that we

require some education and training as

he's going to you know talk about a

little bit or not in order to appreciate

and to thereby understand and enter into

communion about what's happening with

the art that other people are doing

particularly if they are distant in in

time or in space or in culture from us

but that's the essence of Tolstoy

understanding of art he thinks that this

provides us with a definition

we really should understand this as a

definition that's meant to be normative

rather than merely descriptive

you