With the speed of innovation ramping up in our society in recent years, there is a new debate emerging. Its about comparing the usefulness of art in comparison to science. With many people claiming art is obsolete in todays world, that its value is diminishing. In reality, art is more important than ever.
Art remains more useful than ever. It has the power to change the world. Art is the voice of people who otherwise couldn’t be heard, or the objection that otherwise wouldn’t be made. It is one of the most important mediums to speak about the wrongs we see in the world. Just a song about the injustices you faced personally, for example, can make it to the hearts of millions.
The idea that art lost its value sits on the false premise that importance only emerges from usefulness, defined by productivity. This idea emerged alongside the rise of Capitalism and came with the notion that everything we do has to be productive, that we can’t lose any time doing nothing. This is simple not true. We all have a need for deeper meaning in our lives. Sometimes we do things just because it brings us joy, or it helps us spend time together with our loved ones.
This is the fulfillment that everyone needs that makes life worth living, and art is in the very heart of it. Allowing us the express our emotions and share it with everyone else. In a sense, art is what makes us human.
In conclusion, art remains valuable and will continue to remain very central to who we are. Art is more useful and more important than ever. But even if it completely loses its utility, it isn’t going to be obsolete just because it isn’t productive. It never had to be in the first place.