What Is Art Good For? The Socio-Epistemic Value of Art

What Is Art Good For? The Socio-Epistemic Value of Art Aleksandra Sherman Clair Morrissey

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What Is Art Good For? The Socio-Epistemic Value of Art 2017 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00411 frontiers2017-what-is-art-good-for frontiers2017-what-is-art-good-for.txt, the project's staged copy f1352a4835170118cfda0e9078883c6540bbc195 cc-by philosophy-of-art

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0 spans located by searching the stored text for the quote's exact words, allowing any whitespace between them the social and epistemic value of art appreciation - what art is good for beyond beauty, pleasure and preference, understood as a social practice that cultivates self- and other-understanding Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. whether and how a systematic scientific study of art appreciation, reframed as a social practice, should explain the socio-epistemic outcomes of arts engagement rather than only aesthetic pleasure or liking Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. an argument to reframe art appreciation as socio-epistemically valuable - an embodied, enactive social practice cultivating self-understanding and other-understanding - and a call for an expanded empirical (neuroaesthetic) research program beyond judgments of beauty and preference Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. critique Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. art appreciation as a social practice that cultivates socio-epistemic skills, specifically self-understanding and other-understanding Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. review review Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. Emotionally moving, potentially transformative art experiences produce an inward, self-reflective focus - felt as chills or tears - that can exercise self- and other-understanding. being moved prompts self-reflection Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. During intensely moving aesthetic experiences the default mode network, involved in self-contemplation and self-referential thought, is recruited more strongly for artworks rated as highly moving. default mode network recruitment Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. When a beholder's expectations are violated, self-reflective meta-cognitive re-assessment begins and can eventually restructure the self-schema. expectancy violation and self-schema transformation Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. Embodied responses to art are cognitive and affective simulations that help the beholder grasp both the representational content of the work and the intentions of the artist. embodied simulation Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. Empathy lets a beholder resonate with and share an isomorphic affective state while remaining aware of its source, providing a route to understanding others through art. affect sharing Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. Mirror neurons and homologous human cortical regions respond both when performing and when observing an action, a candidate substrate for experientially understanding an artwork's content and the artist's intentions. mirror neuron system Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. The authors decline to commit to any specific or direct causal pathway between cognitive processes, art appreciation, and self- or other-understanding, identifying it instead as an open area of investigation. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. The reviewed studies are not direct evidence that self-understanding is developed by art appreciation; they show only that self-reflection, a related process, is prompted by moving art experiences. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. The empirical and philosophical research on art appreciation and other-understanding is still limited in scope, quantity, and specificity. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. Many claims that art appreciation cultivates empathy are contested; causal effects have not always replicated, and a brief encounter is typically shallow. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. The extent to which mirroring, simulation, and empathy actually affect art appreciation and aesthetic evaluation remains understudied. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. art appreciation art appreciation Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. neuroaesthetics neuroaesthetics Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. aesthetic experience aesthetic experience Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. social practices social practices Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. socio-epistemic skill socio-epistemic skill Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. self-understanding self-understanding Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. other-understanding other-understanding Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. self-knowledge self-knowledge Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. knowledge of the self knowledge of the self Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. self-identity self-identity Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. self-reflection self-reflection Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. being moved being moved Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. default mode network default mode network Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. self-schema transformation self-schema transformation Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. clarificationism clarificationism Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. imaginative understanding imaginative understanding Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. empathy empathy Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. sympathy sympathy Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. cognitive empathy cognitive empathy Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. affective empathy affective empathy Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. emotional contagion emotional contagion Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. theory of mind theory of mind Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. embodied responses embodied responses Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. mirror neuron system mirror neuron system Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. aesthetic distance aesthetic distance Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. aesthetic evaluation aesthetic evaluation Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. well-being well-being Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. art appreciation → self-understanding Art appreciation as a practice is proposed to enhance self-understanding, but the authors explicitly decline to assert a specific or direct causal pathway. — the relation stated: Art appreciation may cultivate self-understanding, held open rather than causally asserted. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. art appreciation → other-understanding Reviewed findings suggest art appreciation is deeply connected to other-understanding, engaging mental-state-attribution processes. — the relation stated: Art appreciation is connected to other-understanding on the reviewed evidence. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. cognitive empathy → affective empathy Cognitive empathy (modelling minds without emotional investment) and affective empathy (resonating with an isomorphic emotion) are two distinct routes to understanding others. — the relation stated: Cognitive and affective empathy are two related but distinct capacities for understanding others. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. art appreciation → well-being Art appreciation and creation are associated with increased well-being and are argued to be partially constitutive of a flourishing life. — the relation stated: Art appreciation is associated with well-being and flourishing. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. understanding - Carroll's clarificationist sense: deepening and clarifying moral knowledge one already has, as opposed to acquiring new propositional knowledge from the sciences Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. self - two philosophical senses: 'self-knowledge' as knowledge of one's own mental states, versus 'knowledge of the self' as understanding of one's self and its nature Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. empathy - feeling WITH another (isomorphic affect sharing), distinguished from sympathy as feeling FOR another Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. social - the authors' sense: longstanding practices embedded in the fabric and life of communities, not mere co-presence or a social context of viewing Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. value of art - social, epistemic and personal value, as opposed to monetary or economic value Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. being moved - an intense, attachment-relevant emotional response prompting self-reflection, distinct from liking or a judgment of beauty Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. the arts vs aesthetics - the paper resists reducing 'the arts' (their nature and function) to 'aesthetics' (the capacity to cause disinterested pleasure) Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. builds-on → Wolterstorff's and MacIntyre's account of the arts as social practices note: Adopts MacIntyre's social-practices framework, via Wolterstorff, as the frame for the nature of the arts. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. contrasts-with → neuroaesthetics' focus on beauty, preference and pleasure as the primary outcomes of art appreciation note: Argues that focus risks conflating the arts with aesthetics and reducing art to the capacity to cause disinterested pleasure. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. extends → information-processing accounts of art appreciation note: Not opposed to them, but reoriented: investigate the information-processing system through socially-related outputs rather than aesthetic outcomes. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. supports → the claim that art appreciation is deeply connected to other-understanding note: Reviewed neural findings are read as promising but not decisive support; more research is called crucial. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. qualifies → claims that art appreciation cultivates empathy note: Notes many such claims are contested, causal effects have not always replicated, and brief encounters are shallow. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. recommends → longitudinal, multi-method empirical designs beyond single-exposure preference measures note: Recommends longer engagement, naturalistic comparison, combined methods, and state/trait individual-difference measures. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. self-knowledge —distinct-from→ knowledge of the self self-knowledge knowledge of the self the relation itself is separately evidenced · strength of the relation: 0.9 · note: Differentiator stated: mental states versus the self and its nature; cue 'In contrast'. · the relation stated: Self-knowledge is knowledge of one's own mental states, whereas knowledge of the self is understanding of one's self and its nature. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. empathy —distinct-from→ sympathy empathy sympathy the relation itself is separately evidenced · strength of the relation: 0.9 · note: Differentiator stated: feeling 'with' versus feeling 'for'; cue 'distinct from / rather than'. · the relation stated: Empathy is feeling 'with' another (an isomorphic shared emotion), distinct from sympathy, which is feeling 'for' another. Audit 2026-09-28: DOUBTFUL - read against its span and kept, but the span shown is about 'catching' another's state; the empathy-sympathy distinction is not visible. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. empathy —distinct-from→ emotional contagion empathy emotional contagion the relation itself is separately evidenced · strength of the relation: 0.9 · note: Differentiator: awareness of the source of one's affect; cue 'does not / rather than'. · the relation stated: True empathy requires a developed sense of self, agency, and other, whereas imitation or emotional contagion alone - seen even in infants - does not. Audit 2026-09-28: DOUBTFUL - read against its span and kept, but the span shown is about 'catching' another's state; the empathy-contagion distinction is not visible. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. self-understanding —is-a→ socio-epistemic skill self-understanding socio-epistemic skill the relation itself is separately evidenced · strength of the relation: 1 · note: Flat categorical is-a; cue 'is a', instance first. · the relation stated: Self-understanding is a socio-epistemic skill, because recognizing and acting on one's central values is a social ability. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. being moved —contrasted-with→ aesthetic evaluation being moved aesthetic evaluation the relation itself is separately evidenced · strength of the relation: 0.85 · note: Contrast of research focus; cue 'rather than'. · the relation stated: Understanding the experience of being moved is set against just focusing on aesthetic evaluation as the object of research. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. Default mode network activity was higher for artworks rated as highly moving than for those rated lower, consistent with an inward, self-reflective focus during moving aesthetic experiences. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. Feeling like crying while viewing art was correlated with increased self-awareness, feelings of epiphany and insight, and with mixed emotions corresponding to being moved. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. Participants whose bodily motions were congruent with a painting's style (e.g., stippling for Pointillism) reported liking the artworks more than incongruent groups, suggesting motor resonance shapes preference. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. Individuals high in emotion contagion were more moved by, interested in, and enjoyed visual art, and reacted more strongly to emotion-congruent aspects of the work. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. People who read more literary or narrative fiction score higher on mental-state tests (RMET, Yoni), and even brief exposure to a literary short story raised scores relative to popular fiction or nonfiction. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. After watching empathy-inducing film clips, individuals were more charitable, a prosocial effect that was partially mediated by age. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. A large-scale population study found that both art appreciation and art creation are associated with increased well-being (perceived health, life satisfaction, and lower anxiety and depression). Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. Contrary to a simple empathy-boost account, reading fiction was found to decrease perceptual accuracy in discriminating fearful emotions, plausibly through a prosocial attribution bias. Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. in philosophy, knowledge of one's own mental states - one's own beliefs, thoughts, or sensations self-knowledge Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. knowledge or understanding of one's self and its nature, as opposed to knowledge of one's particular mental states knowledge of the self Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. following Martin, an achievement: developing a justifiable and meaningful perspective on one's life, calling for adjustments in attitude, emotion and conduct self-understanding Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. individuals' subjective senses of who they are - their self-images - organized around a set of central commitments or values self-identity Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. Carroll's view that art appreciation deepens and clarifies moral knowledge one already has (understanding) rather than delivering new propositional knowledge clarificationism Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. 'catching' another person's experience - an affective capacity to resonate with an isomorphic emotion while remaining aware of its source, distinguishing self from other empathy Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. the capacity to model others' experiences by inferring their intentions and predicting future actions, without requiring emotional investment cognitive empathy Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. Kieran's skill, promoted by the arts, of appreciating the appropriate way to feel for, regard, and respond to others imaginative understanding Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. MacIntyre's coherent, complex forms of socially established cooperative human activity through which internal goods are realized in pursuing the standards of excellence definitive of that activity social practices Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. following Koopman and Hakemulder, thoughts and insights on oneself, often in relation to others and/or to society self-reflection Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. rarely exceeding 15 seconds — typical short viewing time per artwork in lab studies of visual aesthetic experience the authors critique Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution. at least 1 minute — longer per-artwork engagement time the authors recommend for future designs Quotation withheld because this record is not cleared for redistribution.

The full text of this article is not redistributable, so it is not included here. The evidence sentences are withheld with it; the tag layer and its grounding status remain. The article itself is at https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00411.