Strange and Ordinary Tools: The Reciprocity of Art and Life for Nishida Kitarō and Alva Noë
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In Strange Tools: Art and Human Nature, Alva Noë argues that art is defined, in part, by its ability to disturb the organized activities that shape our lives. This article endorses Noë’s perspective, while integrating Nishida Kitarō’s novel concept of “kōiteki chokkan” (acting intuition) and examples from traditional Japanese arts to demonstrate how art is an unfolding interaction between the artist, their creation, and the environment. Nishida’s view complements and adds depth to Noë’s, clearly articulating the implicitly enactivist understanding of art in Noë’s work. It is argued that, as a result, art is both a “strange” and “ordinary” tool.
DOI: 10.1093/jaac/kpaf048
Author: David Walsh
Institution: University College Cork
Language: English
Subfield: Visual Arts and Performing Arts
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,492
OpenAlex ID: W7128617469