What is Aesthetic Functionalism? (Philosophy of Art)

An explication of the philosophical position of Aesthetic Functionalism, or the belief that art should serve some function, as well as objections from both the aestheticist and the realist.
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Information for this video gathered from The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, The Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Collier-MacMillan Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the Dictionary of Continental Philosophy, and more! (#aesthetics #philosophy)

[@otakudoomer646]

good video

[@motivemystic]

Wow, this video really helps me understand Aesthetic Functionalism so well! I've always believed that art should have a purpose, and this philosophy totally aligns with my thinking. It's fascinating to see how art can serve a function and impact society in meaningful ways. Thanks for breaking it down in such a clear and concise manner! Keep up the great work!

[@AGirlyReader]

Is Roger Scruton not a major pioneer of Aesthetic Functionalism?

[@6DAMMK9]

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[@Pfhorrest]

I think functionalism pretty much captures my view on art -- which is pleasing as I'm generally a functionalist about pretty much everything else too.
Art is just an aspect of communication, that aspect focused more "rhetorically" or "pragmatically", on the form and packaging of the speech-act, than "logically" or "syntactically" on the structure and content of it, which in turn is more the domain of math.
*Good* art is art that is successful at whatever it is trying to do. And like with all kinds of communication, there are many things that art can try to do. It can be meant simply to engage, to be something interesting that catches people's attention and makes them stop to consider it. It can further be meant to amuse, to provoke a pleased reaction in the audience. Some might say that's art at all, merely entertainment; but I think entertainment is a subset of art. Entertaining is one of many things that art can do.
But art can also be meant to do other things, that are in some sense more noble than mere entertainment. Art can also be meant to inspire, as in to convey attitudes towards ideas, either descriptive or prescriptive in nature, aiming to make people feel either that something is true (or false), or that something is good (or bad). This can be construed as art being used to educate, either in the descriptive sense that word commonly connotes today, as conveying facts about reality, or in a prescriptive sense now found slightly archaic, as conveying moral norms.
And art can also be meant to "educate" in a less paternalistic fashion, by conveying not statements, either about facts or norms, but rather questions about either, intriguing its audience by prompting them to wonder what is actually real, or actually moral; or more still, about what is possible, or what is permissible, exploring other worlds and ways of life, exotic other options of what could be real or could be moral.
That, I think, is perhaps the most noble of purposes for which art can be meant.

[@InventiveHarvest]

Art will be art. It can have a purpose or not.
However, graphic design has a purpose of communicating an idea in a graphical manner. The philosophy of graphic design does not map to the idea being true or false. The verisimilitude of the idea does not matter. What matters is if the idea was conveyed in an impactful way.
As far as art goes, strict functionalists have a mora imperative to fuck right off.

[@ZoiusGM]

6:44 I disagree; psychological comfort, relief, pleasure are sufficient to explain why we make art.
6:42 'for their own sake' This is one of the stupidest things one can say; it is as stupid as the idea of 'intrinsic value': there is NO intrinsic value and we don't do anything 'for its own sake'. There is always something that we gain from 'it' - whatever that is -, art in this case. There is only extrinsic value and art has it; we make it because we gain from it.

[@Theonepieceisfriendship]

I think you’re misunderstanding the objections, if what you said is the case then it would seem correct to call people who enjoy doing morally just acts for the sake of morally just acts, as selfish because they are doing it essentially for themselves. Things and actions don’t have the quality “intrinsic value” because of the emotions we get from doing them, because that is too relative and varied but the fact that we engage in art or do some action for no other reason than “I simply enjoy doing it” is what is meant by intrinsic value, like the write who writes stories yet never has the desire to publish. You’re gaining enjoyment or satisfaction from doing it not for any body else or outside purpose other than engaging in something you like.