In conversation with John Vervaeke and Christopher Mastropietro #4: Reinventing Art

Aug 9, 2020

In this lively discussion, John Vervaeke, a cognitive scientist and philosophy professor, teams up with Christopher Mastropietro, a narrative and theater expert. They dive into whether art is inherently moral, its educational role, and its political functions. The duo emphasizes that art serves as a dialogical process, challenging traditional views that separate art from entertainment. They explore the transformative power of creativity and how good art can evoke profound emotional experiences, ultimately suggesting that art's essence lies not just in the product but in the journey of creation.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

The Transformative Power of Art

01:31 • 15min

Revitalizing Creativity: The Art of Connection

16:52 • 12min

Art as Transformation: Beyond Self-Expression

28:55 • 21min

Beyond Beauty: The Essence of Picasso's Guernica

50:16 • 17min

Art, Politics, and the Power of Comedy

01:07:30 • 9min

The Intersection of Art and Community in Religious Expression

01:16:35 • 4min

Exploring Art's Formative Influences and Cosmic Themes

01:20:09 • 5min

The Interplay of Art, Virtue, and Process

01:25:04 • 3min

Is art moral? Why was Plato censorious of art? Does art have a political function? How is art educational? Should art and philosophy be combined? What is the difference between art and entertainment? Is art about individual or communal expression? How is art related to what John calls ‘dialogos’?

Here we continue to ‘reinventio’—the latin word which means to both invent and discover— perennial and popular subjects. We discuss the purpose and function of art from various perspectives: John from the point of view of cognitive science and philosophy, Christopher from the point of view theater and narrative, and Andrew as a songwriter. We concluded that art is about process rather than product, and that the good art leans towards religious experience.

John Vervaeke is a professor at the University of Toronto and the creator of the popular online YouTube Series ‘Awakening from The Meaning Crisis’, which is a rich feast of cognitive science, philosophy, religion, and the history of ideas. What makes Vervaeke special in my opinion is the breadth of his work, but his courage descend the ivory tower and talk to people ‘on the street’—and to exemplify his ideas. His hero is Socrates, and he embodies the living dialogue and courage that Socrates represents.

I was first introduced to Christopher Mastropietro by Peter Limberg for his series on Letter.com. Christopher is John Vervaeke’s writing and research partner and co-author of ‘Zombies in Western Culture: A Twentieth Century Crisis’. A great book which I have used for undergraduate classes in Paris. Chris is among other things an amazing wordsmith who writes and speaks like an 19th Century Henry James/Herman Melville!

Links:
Impossible conversations with Christopher Mastropeitro
Other conversations with John Vervaeke and friends
John Vervaek’s Awakening from the Meaning Crisis

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Intro music: Beautiful Machines by Andrew Sweeny