Article: Lessons Used for Millennia Must Not Be Lost — Adding Values to Higher Educational Programs through Arts and Aesthetics: A Literature Study

26.05.2023

Caves, such as Lascaux in France, are known for the paintings on the walls. Within the caves, there was also a close relation between using musical instruments, sounds and singing for navigating in the caves and in rituals. Photo: Adobe Stock.

Since prehistoric time, mankind has been using different art forms for health reasons. Artwork created by a society is a product of the culture that prevails within that society. Aesthetics is connected to art, and it spans over a wider field than just art. (Thyrén & Bojner Horwitz, 2022) To deepen the understanding of arts and aesthetics through a historical perspective, in relation to health, in the Arthewe project, Eva Bojner Horwitz and David Thyrén conducted a literature review study that brings together different historical views on arts, aesthetics, and creativity.

The research questions addressed were:

How can historical perspectives on arts, aesthetics and creativity add value to higher education and in what way could these perspectives benefit students’ health?

“By bringing in a historical perspective on the healing powers of art and aesthetics we can be better equipped to reintroduce arts in higher education also as a healthy factor. We need to understand our history to be able to create an understanding of the healthy meaning of art for future higher education students”, Thyrén and Bojner Horwitz suggest.

Read the research article:

Thyrén, D. and Bojner Horwitz, E. (2022) Lessons Used for Millennia Must Not Be Lost — Adding Values to Higher Educational Programs through Arts and Aesthetics: A Literature Study. Advances in Historical Studies, 11, 169-179. ISSN online: 2327-0446.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ahs.2022.114014