The Arts as Self-Transcendence
Oskar Gruenwald
Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies 2022 DOI: 10.5840/jis2022341/21 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the arts can serve as a gateway to the transcendentals of beauty, truth, and goodness, and proposes that music may enable self-transcendence, illustrated by Tony Bennett's continued engagement with music despite the limitations of Alzheimer's disease. |
Abstract
This editorial highlights the remarkable contributions in this JIS volume that explore the arts as a gateway to the transcendentals of beauty, truth and goodness. It focuses on the recurring notions of order, telos, and creativity reflecting the essential attributes of human nature as imago Dei. Apart from the arts as art therapy, how can the arts connect one to the transcendentals? Can homo musicus aspire to self-transcendence? A shining example of music as self-transcendence is the life and times of Tony Bennett, the legendary singer and an American icon of traditional pop, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett’s love of music, in particular, transcends his physical limitations engendered by the onset of Alzheimer’s in later life.