On Constitutive Principles of an Inter-arts Curriculum : Using N. Goodman's Cognitive Theories of Art

Abstract

The author believes that art education is neither "education for art itself" nor "education through art". The significance of art education lies on its contribution to the advancement of one's understanding of art itself, and to the expansion of people's view of the actual world (including arts) as it is recognized. To realize this kind of art education, the author integrates arts (like sciences, languages and ordinary perceptions), which are made up of various kinds of symbols, symbolic relations and systems of symbols, from a cognitive point of view. This paper aims to show the basic ideas of inter-arts curriculum based on N. Goodman's cognitive theories of art, and to make clear the conceptual frameworks of this curriculum especially "exemplification" which may be a key to integrating arts. The main "ideas" constituting this curriculum can be formulated as follows: (1) the educational function of art lies on its cognitive function; (2) the worlds and cognitions of them are made up of symbols and their functions; (3) sciences and arts make a multiple network of symbols, and equally participate in the advancement of one's understanding, interrelating with each other; and (4) the value of art lies greatly in enlarging one's view of the actual world (including arts). These "ideas" determine the second constitutive principle "goal"; which is to advance one's understanding of the artworlds which are open to other fields through mastering cognitive systems of art (especially music). The inquiry also gives fresh insights on the curriculum organization of other subjects, for "exemplification" may have a function of integrating other areas besides arts. Moreover, our plan includes the idea that all subjects are reorganized according to different cognitive systems.