How evolution and brains give rise to art

The human brain is a remarkably complex lump of cells. It has achieved the whole of civilization—from the stone tools of Homo habilis to that ineffable phenomenon we call art. Whether or not the latter achievement is evolutionarily advantageous, however, is unclear, and has been a topic furiously debated1. Many spheres of human activity, such as the arts, not only are prevalent in society, but also are even honored as reflections of humanity’s greatest achievements. In the struggle to survive and reproduce, the arts seem biologically meaningless. In this paper, I will review Darwin’s theory and its ramifications regarding the arts, all within the framework of neuroscience—in particular, visual art and its effects on the human brain. I will present a wide range of arguments for and against art’s biological purpose, with an emphasis on possible evolutionary explanations. Finally, I will conclude by identifying art as a meme and suggest that consilience, or the bridging of both the arts and sciences, is the key to advancing as a species.