Essays are at best a way of playing with concepts. That necessarily involves words, and, more to the point, the meaning of words. What I mean by “art” and what you understand by “art” may be very different. Yet constantly refining definitions is usually a tedious legalistic dead end.
“Science” for me has come to mean a method of discovering consistent relations in the physical world. I will let it go at that, except to note that science has also often been used to preach that there is one right solution to problems.
“Art”, on the other hand, has gradually assumed in my thoughts the vast universe of non-physical issues. What is correct social behavior, or beauty, or meaning, or existence? And in art there is clearly more than one best answer to any such question.
Other people will pick other words _ religion, philosophy, whatever. I prefer the more tangible aspects of art, which can manifest itself in contemplative objects for communication or simply internal and personal explorations which lead to a deeper enchantment with the world.
That all becomes very fuzzy very quickly, but such is the true nature of language and our actual thoughts. I am generally much more aware of the art of life than of the science of life. And, in truth, a great deal of the spontaneous events around me seem more irrational and chaotic than not.
Thus “art.” Definitely not a way to seek the “one important truth” about anything.
HuntingtonHarborThoughts 