"Good art is ..."
<p>On Good Art</p>
<p>The German philosopher Hegel defined art as ‘the sensuous presentation of ideas’. It is, he indicated, in the business of conveying concepts, just like ordinary language, except that it engages us through both our senses <em>and</em> our reason, and is uniquely effective for its dual modes of address.</p>
<p>(See also Poetry.)</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Good art is the sensuous presentation of ideas which matter most to the proper functioning of our souls – and yet which we are most inclined to forget, even though they are the basis for our capacity for contentment and virtue.</p>