ABSTRACT
I take the risk here of sketching in what I think is a psychological profile of the arts; how they contribute to the development of mind. What is the point and purpose of the arts? Are they simply pleasurable activities for private gratification or are they a form of public discourse? Can they be handled in classrooms or are they best enjoyed away from institutions? Is assessment in the arts rather like grading a dream or children’s play? Can we teach dreaming or playing? What important purposes, if any, lie behind our attempts to educate in and about the arts? Where lie the psychological roots of the arts?
