In his work "La pensée et le mouvant" (Thought and Motion), Henri Bergson deals with the subject of art and develops its principal function, which constitutes the generic theme of the text before us. The author asserts that artists have the power to transcribe the things of nature and of the mind, to give a new vision tending towards universality, and argues in favor of this thesis.
For a long time, the concepts of art and technique were so intertwined that the craftsman and the artist became one and the same, until the end of the 18th century, when art became independent and focused solely on the pursuit of Beauty. Thus, artists seek to express the beauty of things and share their vision with humanity. But are they legitimate to do so, and is this faculty reserved exclusively for them? Is it possible that their conceptions of things cannot be imposed as universal?
[...] Art and technique Bergson then goes on to define the role of writers, showing that they make us feel emotions which, although present in us, were not perceived as such by our minds. This section runs from line 2 to "The poet . this revealer". First of all, there are a few terms that deserve our attention: a state of mind refers to a particular disposition of the mind, indicating a positive or negative emotion, such as joy or sadness. [...]
[...] In conclusion, Bergson, when discussing the function of art, states that it enables us to learn an adequate vision of nature and of the things of the mind, thanks to the intervention of artists who make their vision of things accessible and intelligible to make it objective and universal. Although artists may use their imagination in the creative process, and sometimes detach themselves from their natural source of inspiration, this does not mean that they are misleading others, as their works may remain true but be used for purposes other than aesthetic interest. [...]
[...] Bergson's argument is divided into 4 distinct parts: first, we find the presupposition of the thesis in the form of a question, from line 1 to "What is the purpose of art . consciousness". In a second part, from line 2 to the author develops the role of writers, "the poet . revealing", and applies it to painters in a 3rd part, which constitutes Bergson's thesis, from line 8 to 11, "the great painters . not". Finally, he anticipates what some might retort to him in a final section dealing with the legitimacy of these artists, from line 11 to 16 "will one say . pure fantasy? [...]
[...] Art and its essential purpose To begin his argument, Bergson gives us the presupposition of his thesis, which consists in defining art and its essential purpose, from line 1 to "What is art intended to achieve? . our consciousness?" First of all, it's important to define certain essential elements. Etymologically, art is a skill; in the broadest sense, it refers to anything that modifies nature in the sense of the artificial. When art became distinct from technique at the end of the eighteenth century, its purpose became purely aesthetic, and it was distinguished from science, but also from routine because of art's unpredictability. [...]
[...] The invisible refers to that which we cannot see, such as the soul. Finally, a revelator is someone who teaches a truth that he has not created, but which he has managed to perceive, unlike others; he is a kind of prophet like those of the Old Testament revealing the divine law. Bergson shows us that, through their writings, poets and novelists manage to make us feel things differently, without inventing them: they simply give us the means to fully experience these states of mind. [...]
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