THE ROLE OF THE ARTS IN ENHANCING EDUCATION, CULTURE, COMPASSION, AND COMING TO GRIPS WITH THE CHALLENGES OF THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE

Abstract

While the arts and the sciences are among the most important activities in life and the world, a severe disharmony exists between them at present due to the fact that the sciences are seen and treated primarily as “hard activities” and “the basics in life” while the arts are often seen and treated by many people and organizations as “soft activities” and “the frills in life.’ Over the last few decades, this has resulted in substantial increases in funding for the sciences and significant decreases in funding for the arts, thereby creating a destructive rift or imbalance between the arts and sciences that must be corrected as soon as possible by “doubling down” of the development of the arts and recognizing that they have a crucial role in the world of the future by enhancing education and culture very considerably and a great deal else. This can be achieved in a multitude of ways, such as treating the arts as ends in themselves as well as means to other ends, expanding knowledge, understanding, and awareness in the world of all the arts’ many diverse aspects and manifestations, using artistic symbols, metaphors, myths, and legends to enhance our appreciation and respect for all the different cultures and civilizations in the world in breadth and depth, and shining the spotlight on the natural environment and all its diverse elements and species by taking advantage of the unique features of all the various arts and art forms and most notably music. This can assist us in coming to grips with the environmental crisis, achieving ecological sustainability, reducing the severe inequalities that exist in income and wealth in the world through more sharing and caring, and most of all, making the world a much more humane and harmonious place by unleashing the greatest strength of the arts of all, namely bringing a great deal more spirituality, compassion, feeling, emotion, sensitivity, and reverence into the world.