What is the purpose of art in philosophy?
When we think of philosophy, we often imagine big questions about life, truth, or what is right or wrong. Art, by contrast, seems freer, more emotional, more creative.
Yet two well-known philosophers, Baruch Spinoza and Friedrich Nietzsche, saw art as important for understanding life and helping us live better. They did not share the same views, but both believed art is far more than a pastime.
Spinoza: Art helps us think more clearly
Spinoza, a 17th-century philosopher, argued that even though art relies on imagination and emotion, it can help us become more rational and thoughtful.
For Spinoza, we begin to apprehend the world through our senses: what we see, hear, and feel. This is the first stage of knowledge, and though not always reliable, we can build on these impressions to deepen our understanding.
Art—like music, painting, or storytelling—works with our imagination and emotions, and in doing so, can help us think more clearly.
He even compared artists to prophets. Just as prophets speak in ways that move us and teach through stories, artists can shape our feelings and thoughts.
Art speaks to our emotions and, used well, can guide us toward better ways of living. Art is thus a path inward, leading us to the ‘prophet’ within.
Spinoza believed that the more varied our experiences—including art—the more we grow. He encouraged enjoying music, theater, and beauty in moderation because these activities stimulate both mind and body.
In short, art helps us understand the world by first helping us understand ourselves.
Francisco Goya’s The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters illustrates Spinoza’s ideas by critiquing irrationality and underscoring the importance of reason.
Other works reflecting Spinoza: Still Life with Fresh Peppers (Craig Shillam), An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (Joseph Wright of Derby), The Disasters of War (Francisco Goya).
Nietzsche: Art gives meaning to life
Nietzsche was more radical in holding that art has intrinsic value. More than merely important, it offers an aesthetic justification for our existence.
Nietzsche criticized the ‘detached observer’: someone who believes they know objective truth without questioning their own limits. Applied to art, he claims that art—like life—is passionate and subjective; treating it as a detached observer reduces it to lifeless analysis.
He also maintains that art offers more than what we see: it provokes a bodily response. What is truly beautiful is also stimulating; this stimulation grants art its authenticity and beauty.
Van Gogh’s Starry Night exemplifies the idea that art is a matter of passion rather than objectivity; the painting reflects the artist’s emotional state.
Other examples: The Two Fridas (Frida Kahlo), The Mirror (1975) by Andrei Tarkovsky, The Slave Ship (1840) by J.M.W. Turner—works driven by passion, not mere distractions from pain.
Contrasting views
Spinoza sees art as a matter of growth: it begins with our emotions and can make us wiser. Nietzsche claims art is a matter of survival: it aesthetically justifies existence through passion, subjectivity, and the physical sensations it elicits.
FAQ
What makes a work of art beautiful?
It depends on whom you ask. Plato held beauty to be an objective quality. Nietzsche said the opposite: beauty is subjective and reflects the human ideal—hence divine figures with exaggerated human traits. Our sense of beauty is thus shaped by our own ego.
Why is art necessary?
Hegel answers that we have spiritual needs beyond material ones. Art nourishes the mind; it is therefore essential to meeting a fundamental need.
Does art need a purpose to be art?
Paradoxically, it is art’s ‘uselessness’ that gives it purpose. Since it does not serve our physical needs, art has a unique value: it answers our deepest spiritual needs. Alain adds that art should be made without utility in mind, otherwise its freedom and authenticity are lost.
Bibliography
- Stoll, T. (2025, February 14). Nietzsche’s Aesthetics. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nietzsche-aesthetics/
- Guillén, S. (2024, January 15). Art, myth and science… Visible. https://www.unilim.fr/visible/624
- Kerr, J. (2018). Spinoza: From art to philosophy. https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.uoregon.edu/dist/d/3851/files/2014/05/Kerr_PhilMatters_2018-1wdp9p5.pdf
- Epicurus Of Albion. (2023, March 7). Nietzsche and Objective Beauty. The Stand Up Philosophers. https://thestandupphilosophers.co.uk/nietzsche-and-objective-beauty/
- Manon, S. (2008, March 20). Is art language? Hegel. PhiloLog. https://www.philolog.fr/lart-est-il-langage-hegel/
- Lesson 6: Must art necessarily be useful? Philoforever (2021, April 26). https://philoforever.blog4ever.com/lecon-6-l-art-doit-il-necessairement-etre-utile-ebauche-de-dissertation-cliquez-sur-le-lien
- Schaefer, S. C., Dr. (2015, August 9). Francisco Goya, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. Smarthistory. https://smarthistory.org/goya-the-sleep-of-reason-produces-monsters/
- Mavroudis, I. (2024, September 21). The Starry Night. MyNeuroNews. https://myneuronews.com/2024/09/21/the-starry-night/