Art, Mind and Evolution

Abstract

I argue that the fact that the purpose of art is still open to theorizing is perhaps one of the stronger arguments for art behaviors being instinctual. After exploring and critiquing a selection of evolutionary theories of art proposed by others, I then outline a tentative adaptationist theory of art, suggesting that art behaviors are an inherited behavioral tendency by which human beings instinctively and unconsciously tweak their environment so that it fosters an expanded conceptual and perceptual range of the minds of the human population. Possible effects of the theory upon the practice of art are considered. In closing, it is suggested that Thompson’s insights regarding the limits of engineered circuit design equally apply to philosophy.