Humanities

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Point of view

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The position or perspective from which something is viewed or related.

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Setting

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The environment and context in which a creative work is set or takes place.

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Movement

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A change of position, location, or timeframe.

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Tone

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The general atmosphere, mood, or ambiance achieved in a work. A sound that has a definite pitch.

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Rhythm

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Variation of the length and accentuation of a series of sounds or movements over time. In poetry, rhythm is the conscious arrangement of spoken words into stressed and unstressed elements.

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Symbolism

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Use of a symbol, object, or image to represent something else (that is, a concept or idea)

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Metaphor

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A figure of speech or form of expression in which something is explained in terms of something else.

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Propaganda

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The systematic propagation of information promoting a doctrine or cause.

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Literature

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Art form of the written word. It refers to an individual literary work or collectively to the creative writing of a people, nation, or culture. The foundation of literature is storytelling

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Theater

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A branch of the performing arts in which actors perform a drama or musical before a live audience.

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Dance

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An art form involving a sequence of rhythmic movements or steps usually performed to music. Dance as a part of public ceremony, ritual, or entertainment dates back to the earliest human civilizations.

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Architecture

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the science and art of designing buildings and other structures

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Philosophy

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Philosophy's object is the pursuit of wisdom about the nature of these matters. It is generally distinguished by a reliance on critical inquiry and reasoned argument

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Figurative Explanation

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A colorful, image-filled, metaphor-rich use of language to describe art or life.

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Philosophy

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The systematic investigation of fundamental questions concerning such matters as existence, reality, consciousness, knowledge, and justice.

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Style

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Characteristics of a work of art that identify it with a particular artist, region, artistic movement, or historic period.

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Imagery

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Employment of evocative images in works of art, especially poetry and literature, where words can summon up "mental pictures" for the read.

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Trompe L'oeil

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Style of painting that creates the optical illusion of three dimensionality

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Humanities

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The creative and intellectual contributions of humankind

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Aesthetic Experience

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An experience of beauty that inspires a feeling of pleasure which is its own justification.

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Point of View

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The position or perspective from which something is viewed or related

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Context

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set of facts or circumstances that surround a work of art and helps us determine and clarify its meaning.

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Myths

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Traditional stories of a people or culture that serve to explain some natural phenomenon, the origin of humanity, or customs or religious rite.

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Logic

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thinking in a linear, step-by-step manner about ideas or problems.

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Archetypes

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the emblematic mythic characters, images, plot patterns, symbols, and buried assumptions shared across cultures.

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Monomyth

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The hero's journey archetype that appears in all cultures

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Symbolism

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use of symbol, object, or image to represent something else.

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Epistemology

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the branch of formal philosophy concerned with the natural and limits of human knowledge.

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Metaphor

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a figure of speech in which something is explained in terms of something else.

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Tone

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The basic element of music, also called a note

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Synthesis

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The combination of thesis and antithesis which produces a new and higher level of truth.

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Aesthetics

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A conception of what is artistically valid or beautiful in art, culture, or nature.

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Setting

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The environment and context in which a creative work is set or takes place.

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Harmony

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Congruity or compatibility of parts with one another and with the whole.

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Humanism

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The study of the creative and intellectual contributions of human cultures.

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The Hero's Journey

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The mythic quest in pursuit of some destination or goal whose attainment will lend greater meaning to life.

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Ethics

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The study of the moral values of an individual, group, or culture.

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Classical Humanism

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The cultural movement of the Renaissance, based on Greek and Roman classic literature, that emphasized the dignity, worth, and rationality of humankind.

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Movement

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A change of position, location, or time frame.

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Apollonian Response

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An analytical, rational, objective reaction

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Dionysian Response

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A spontaneous, unstructured, creative, passionate reaction

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Renaissance Man

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a term describing an individual with broad knowledge and versatile talents spanning many intellectual and artistic disciplines

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Mahayana

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Buddhist discipline that emphasizes selfless action on behalf of others

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Deductive Reasoning

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reasoning from the general to the particular (or from cause to effect)

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Cinema

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an artistic medium that uses the motion picture as a vehicle for story telling and other creative expression

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The eigthfold Path

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the Buddhist guide to a life of peace and harmony including eight directives for living a "right" life

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Propaganda

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the systematic propagation of information promoting a doctrine or cause

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Middle Ages

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the thousand-year period in European history from the fall of the Roman Empire to the dawn of the Renaissance

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Renaissance

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a period in Western history, from the 14th through the 16th centuries, marked by a revival of interest in the culture of Greco-Roman antiquity and a flourishing of artistic and intellectual achievement

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Sympathetic Magic

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a mythic ceremony or ritual found in early societies designed to influence the behavior of deities or supernatural forces

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Epicureanism

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a philosophy which asserts that the greatest happiness in life is found in avoiding pain

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Heresy

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a challenge to or rejection of the orthodox doctrines of a religion or church

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Empirical Study

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a study derived from experiment and observation rather than theory

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Agape

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Greek term for platonic love

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Inductive Reasoning

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reasoning that proceeds from particular facts to a general conclusion

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Eros

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Greek term for erotic love or lust

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Pragmatic Reasoning

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reasoning that assumes the truth of an idea can be validated by its practical outcome

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Abstract Art

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Art that departs from natural or realistic appearances

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Modernism

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Artistic movements of the late 19th and 20th centuries which challenged traditional representational art forms and developed new styles and forms.

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Mannerism

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Art movement of the Late Renaissance that emphasized artificiality, clashing colors, and emotional themes

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Dadaism

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Anti-establishment artistic movement that emerged in Europe in reaction to the horrors of World War One

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Megaliths

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large stone monuments of the Neolithic period (such as Stonehenge)

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Ancient Mesopotamian Art

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Artwork from successive civilizations found between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. (9,000-500 B.C.E)

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Impressionism

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Art movement of the late 19th-early 20th century that emphasized simplified composition and the effect of the light and color to capture a painter's visual impression.

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Bauhaus

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German art and architectural style of early 20th century known for its simplicity, functionalism, and craftsmanship.

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Neolithic Art

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Art of the Late Stone Age, circa 8,000-3,000 B.C.E

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Baroque Art

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Art movement of the 17th and early 18th century supported by the Catholic Church that emphasized religious fervor, realism, and theatrical architecture

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Post-Impressionism

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art movement of the early 20th century that while influenced by Impressionism emphasized a greater concern for expression, structure, form, and emotional response

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Reformation art

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art movement of the 16th century, largely in Northern Europe, that reflected religious views of Protestant Reformation

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Renaissance

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period in Western history, from the 14th through the 16th centuries, marked by a revival of interest in the culture of Greco-Roman antiquity and a flourishing of artistic and intellectual achievement

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Gothic art

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artwork of Central and Northern Europe which reflected Christian, and then secular, themes, from mid-12th to the 15th century

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Expressionism

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art movement of early 20th century that emphasized subjective feelings above objective observations and focused on conveying emotions

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cave paintings

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Paleolithic paintings of scenes of hunting or fertility, found in caves in France, South Africa, and other regions.

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Corinthian order

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the most decorative of the classical Greek architectural styles, featuring a fluted column shaft, capitals with flowers and leaves below a small scroll, and a large base; used more by the Romans

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Romanticism

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art movement of early 19th century that stressed passion, emotion, and exotic settings with dramatic action; response to rationalism of Neoclassicism

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Cubism

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art movement of the early 20th century that represented a subject from multiple angles, using simplified geometric forms

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Abstract Expressionism

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art movement of mid-20th century that emphasized spontaneous and dramatic personal expression in large abstract paintings

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Paleolithic art

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art of the hunter-gatherer nomadic tribes of the Old Stone Age, circa 40,000-10,000 B.C.E.

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Empiricism

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philosophical doctrine that says all knowledge is derived from our senses.

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Moral Autonomy

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The capacity to impose moral law on oneself

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Duty-Driven Ethics

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Ethical System that emphasizes fidelity to principle and duty over the consequences of moral action.

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Consequentialism

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Ethical system that judges a moral action by its outcomes or results

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Pragmatism

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Theory that the truth or meaning of an idea or a proposition lies in its observable practical consequences

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Ethical Egoism

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Philosophic belief that acting in your own self-interest is moral

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Veil of Ignorance

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Mental device to enable individuals to develop a standard of justice while remaining ignorant of their own place in our value in this imagined society

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Altruism

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Acting for the sake of others, even when it means sacrificing self-interest.

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Feminist Ethics

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Philosophical movement that emphasizes women's moral experience and feminist thought which, it argues, has been ignored or devalued by traditional ethical systems.

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Psychological Egoism

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descriptive theory that argues that humans naturally pursue whatever aligns with their best self-interest

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universal values

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common values or ethical beliefs required for a society or community to survive and function that apply across all cultures

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Categorical Imperative

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Kantian term for an absolute and universal moral demand or obligation founded on reasoning

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leap of faith

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Kierkegaard's notion that belief in God requires us to overcome any rational doubts and embrace faith

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hypothetical imperatives

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Kantian term for actions conditioned on some goal or desire

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libertarianism

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political philosophy which emphasizes personal and individual liberty above collective social interests

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Cultural Relativism

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view that morality is culturally determined and consequently there is no objective moral rule or law that is universally correct

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Existentialism

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philosophical movement that emphasizes personal experience, choice, freedom, and responsibility and sees the individual as a moral free agent

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Instrumentalism

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philosophic theory that ideas are instruments of response and adaptation to a given situation, and that their truth is to be judged in terms of their effectiveness

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Social Contract Theory

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theory that people should give up some of their natural rights to a government in exchange for social order

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Principle of Equal Treatment

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principle that people should be treated in the same way unless there is a relevant difference between them

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Utilitarianism

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ethical theory that the greatest good for the greatest number should be the only criterion for moral decisions

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Realism

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movement of second half of 19th century that emphasized objective portrayals of the world with a critique of the established social and political order

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Fauvism

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movement of the early 20th century that emphasized spontaneous, bold reactions to nature and employed vibrant, wild colors

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Dadaism

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anti-establishment artistic movement that emerged in Europe in reaction to the horrors of World War One and emphasized the absurd

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Impressionism

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movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that emphasized simplified composition and the effect of light and color to capture a painter's visual impression

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libertarianism

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political philosophy which emphasizes personal and individual liberty above collective social interests

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Minimalism

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movement of mid-20th century that emphasized a nonrepresentational style of sculpture and painting and extreme simplicity of form

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sublime

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a quality of greatness or vastness that is beyond calculation, comparison, or imitation; often invoked with reference to nature

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Existentialism

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philosophical movement that emphasizes personal experience, choice, freedom, and responsibility and sees the individual as a moral free agent

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Baroque

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movement of the 17th and early 18th century in art, architecture, and music known for its religious focus and its elaborate and extensive use of ornamentation

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Cultural Relativism

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view that morality is culturally determined and consequently there is no objective moral rule or law that is universally correct

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counterpoint

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simplest form of harmony, which features two melodic lines (referred to as voices or parts) of equal value played against one another

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Pointillism

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school of painting in late 19th-century France that emphasized the application of paint in small dots and brush strokes

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Classicism

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aesthetic attitudes and principles found in the art, architecture, and literature of ancient Greece and Rome

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Modernism

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artistic movements of the late 19th and 20th centuries which challenged traditional representational art forms and developed new styles and forms

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Neoclassicism

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movement of 18th century that drew on Greek and Roman art for models of harmony, idealized realism, and reason

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Pop Art

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movement of mid-20th century which emphasized existing popular images and cultural artifacts, often mimicking mass-produced consumer products

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Neoplatonism

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a school of religious philosophy founded in the 3rd century A.D. and based on the teachings of Plato

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Romanticism

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movement of early 19th century that stressed passion, emotion, and exotic settings with dramatic action; response to rationalism of Neoclassicism

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Surrealism

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movement of the early 20th century influenced by Freud's focus on dreams; art assembled realistic forms in fantastical contexts

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Stoicism

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philosophy that maintains greatest good comes from wisdom, courage, and uncomplaining acceptance of what cannot be directly controlled

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improvisation

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variations on a musical theme spontaneously created

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Renaissance

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period in Western history marked by a revival of interest in the culture of Greco-Roman antiquity and a flourishing of artistic and intellectual achievement

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Zen Buddhism

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Buddhist school found primarily in China, Japan and Korea that seeks enlightenment through meditation and the development of mental and spiritual discipline

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Art Nouveau

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movement of the late 19th century - early 20th century that favored sinuous lines, curves, and organic motifs, such as plants and flowers

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haiku

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Japanese verse form with three lines of five, seven, and five syllables often alluding to the subject of nature or the seasons

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Determinism

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philosophical view that all events, including human actions and choices, are determined by previous conditions operating under laws of nature, and thus freedom of choice is illusory

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Law of the Golden Section

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law that expresses the most aesthetically satisfying relationship between the two sides of a plane (for example, a rectangle); the ratio is 1 to 1.68

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Transcendentalism

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philosophical movement during the Romantic era that emphasized feeling over reason and the role of the individual finding an intuitive relation to the universe through solitude amid nature

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Epicureanism

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philosophy which asserts that the greatest happiness in life is found in avoiding pain

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linear perspective

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creation of the illusion of depth based on the fact that parallel lines or edges appear to converge, and objects appear smaller as the distance between them and a viewer increases

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iconoclasm

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deliberate destruction of religious art, imagery, icons, and other symbols or monuments

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synthesizer

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electronic instrument that produces a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies; it can either imitate other instruments or generate unusual new sounds

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Cubism

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movement of the early 20th century that represented a subject from multiple angles, using simplified geometric forms