Art, in its widest meaning, refers to all thing that evolved in the social species and attract attention. It may sound vague but this is the only general definition that can cover all those things that can be considered art, from the paintings found on cave walls that date back to the ancient times to the modern-day flash mobs.
How something attracts attention and its side effects is where the difference lies. You may choose to just keep it secret and never publish it but it can still be considered art. Art is something that attracts first the attention of its creator and the creator can then decide whether to use it to attract other people’s attention or not.
By definition, philosophy is considered a part of art. Any speculation or insight that enters your mind must attract your attention first so that you will see it as something interesting and new. After that, you can share it with other people who will decide for themselves if it is interesting for them.
What makes philosophy different, then? The difference probably lies in the way it captures attention and in what it appeals to command attention. It is safe to say that philosophy was the very first art that fed upon and stimulated the curiosity of humans to how things are. It was the first form of art that appeared after mankind was able to discover that “what is” is not always how it seems.
This is what sets philosophy apart from other art forms that don’t make any claims for truth. Not long after, philosophy also went in a different way alienating itself from religion whose roots can be traced back to generic art. This is because philosophy made use of the reasoning ability.
However, the basics of evolution stayed the same. That is, anything that attracts attention will survive. The persuasiveness of philosophy is what helps it survive. If you can follow reasoning and this rings true for you, it can be considered good philosophy. If it also happens to be interesting and new, it also makes it excellent philosophy that can at least survive in your mind and procreate as it affects your personal outlooks at the least.
At one glance, art and philosophy might seem like two completely different entities. While they are technically different, these two are intersecting and overlapping in more ways than one.
One thing is for sure, though. Art and philosophy both play a big role in human life. They fill in voids and bridge the gap when it comes to the thoughts and ideas that the human mind can conceive.
Philosophy cannot be considered an art. Instead, philosophy itself is art just as much as art is philosophy.
Philosophy is the art of critical and analytical thinking, the art of reasoning, and the art of the illogical and logical. It is always an art.
Both art and philosophy are unique in their own way and once they join forces, they can create a more profound impact that the other one couldn’t and might never be able to achieve by itself.