The Views օf Aesthetic Value in Shahan Perperyan’s Theory օf Value

Abstract

The Armenian philosopher of the last century, Shahan Perperyan (1861–1956), was one of the Western Armenian intellectuals of the first half of the 20th century who made tremendous efforts and undeniable contributions in the Diaspora and in Armenian spiritual centers toward the preservation of Armenian identity, Armenian thought, and the promotion and development of Armenian education. Perperyan devoted his entire conscious life to scholarly and pedagogical activity, occupying a unique place in the fields of Armenian philosophical thought, aesthetics, musicology, dance studies, and pedagogy.

This article presents and summarizes Shahan Perperyan’s aesthetic views in the context of axiology (the theory of value). By distinguishing between works of craft and works of art, the article discusses issues related to human creative nature, art, the three main stages, forms, and motivations of artistic activity. It analyzes Perperyan’s axiological and aesthetic perceptions, in which an attempt is made to reveal the relationship between the human being and values, the process of evaluating a work of art, and the criteria for that evaluation. The article also addresses Perperyan’s philosophy of art and the different types of art. Based on the capacity of an artwork to carry aesthetic value, Perperyan distinguishes between primary or senior arts and secondary or junior arts, identifying six senior arts: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Dance, Folklore, Music. All other arts, such as carpentry, jewelry making, tailoring, and so on are considered junior arts. Perperyan’s views on the genres of art, the stimuli behind the emergence of art, and the entire process of art criticism and artistic creation are also presented