Cultivating the earth is an exercise in being human. And this exercise is more important today than ever before as we suffer an increasing loss of a sense of the human difference. Here I mean all of us, not just confused intellectuals or mislead youth.
Human life is a matter of exercising various ‘arts.’ To be attentive then to the nature of art in the broad and most important sense can reveal much about the human difference and how better to live it out.
But we live in the most art-less age in history. I speak here of much more than the ‘fine arts;’ I mean art in the sense of the many crafts or know-hows that concern how humans go about living on this earth. Aristotle warned long ago of what has largely come to pass. When the main criteria for the crafts come from ‘business’ in the form of the bottom-line or making money, then the crafts are undermined. Thomas Aquinas invokes Scripture as illustrative of Aristotle’s point when it says, “All things yield to money.” (Ecclesiastes 10:19)
The arts are not the highest of human perfections; the virtues are. But there is a deep synergy between arts and virtues. The arts always come to their truest perfection in the context of virtue, and there is much in common between the true crafts-man and the virtuous man. Hand in hand with our cultivation of virtue should be a cultivation of a sense for really making things well—we might call it the ‘craftsman’s approach.’
I will note here just two aspects of any art or craft that parallel and so also aid in a deeper cultivation of human perfection.
1. An art comes from experience and calls for a teacher.
This is always the human way. We must be docile, or teachable, by reality itself and by other people who have interacted more with that reality. Arts are grounded in the truth of the way things are. The carpenter learns from and about wood; the doctor learns from and about the human body. They do not dictate to wood or body what they are; or if they try to, they will never be craftsmen.
This simple disposition of docility stands at the root of all the most important things in life. How different might our world and our lives be if the disposition of the true artist more characterized our approach to life.
2. An artist always has an eye for the beautiful even when being most practical.
It is hard to put a finger on this one, yet it is absolutely apparent in experience. We are most apt to say, “Now there is a craftsman!” precisely when someone has produced whatever he has produced with a certain beauty. The English artist/craftsman David Jones insisted on this point: any truly human work—and the work of a craft or art is the archetype of all human work—strives for the beautiful. Any art, Jones says, is a kind of ‘fitting together’—a notion expressed by Aristotle and Aquinas as a putting of order into things, and this fitting together tends toward beauty. Beauty after all is in the splendor of order.
Here again we see the disposition of the craftsman as being a disposition uniquely expressive of what it is to be human. To cultivate this disposition is to cultivate our humanity.
So why did I open referring to cultivation of the earth? The great Xenophon offers an age-old maxim: “Agriculture is the mother and nurse of all arts.” Much food for thought here. Somehow in the works of agriculture, rightly undertaken, is a kind of first school in craftsmanship—which is a kind of first school in being human.
After all, we were created in a garden.
To be clear, we must be aware that the most important ‘gardening’ for which we were made is not the tending of fruits and vegetables. We are after higher fruits. Yet this does not make bodily fruits unimportant, but quite the contrary. Does not God’s design often surprise us with its, well, homey-ness? Or its richness, while also its littleness. Or its appreciation and inclusion of the whole range of things, arrayed in splendid order. Thus was our world arranged, or sown. So might we learn to arrange, or to sow. Like a farmer. Like a craftsman. ~ ~ ~
TODAY’S NEW PODCAST is A Green Thumb: Why You DON’T Need One to Homestead Join Sofia and me in delving into how anyone can homestead, regardless of your background or the color of your thumb! Check out and share our other PODCASTS too.
NEXT LIFECRAFT ONLINE READING: Wendell Berry’s essay: The Pleasures of Eating. Join us to discuss this provocative essay about the place of eating in every household. Wednesday September 4th, 8:30pm EDT SIGNUP HERE
Husband, father, and professor of Philosophy. LifeCraft springs from one conviction: there is an ancient wisdom about how to live the good life in our homes, with our families; and it is worth our time to hearken to it. Let’s rediscover it together. Learn more.
About ten years ago, we took our first family vacation in years and decided to see some of Germany and Austria where our daughter had studied. Whether it was being served by wait staff, meandering through local shops, or watching tradesmen ply their crafts, we noticed a marked difference with much of what we see in our home area. One example sums it up: crews were preparing potholes on the Autobahn. Every crew member wore a uniform and the shirt was tucked in. And, after a hole was filled, a crew member got on his hands and knees with a spirit level to be sure it was even. There was clear pride in the job well done. This led to a long chat with our guide about the honor given in those two countries to the trades (as reflected in their educational scheme). We once shared that honor and I hope we return to it. With Labor Day upcoming, a prayer to St. Joseph for such may be in order.
Thank you, Bob, for sharing this very fitting example and illustration. I join you in prayer.
Such a fabulous painting, may I ask who is the artist? I actually owned the tool that he is sharpening. I belong to a vintage craftsman tool club where retired craftsman give talks on vintage tools and their application.
Also late in my life, I just joined a bonsai club. So much to learn, now there is a slow movement.! Therefore you become in touch with order, nature ,and beauty
Wonderful article necessary for our present time
Thanks Frank. The painting is by Thomas Pollock Anschutz, and is called The Farmer and His Son at Harvesting. I wish I could use those tools!
“Cultivating the earth is an exercise in being human. And this exercise is more important today than ever before as we suffer an increasing loss of a sense of the human difference. Here I mean all of us, not just confused intellectuals or mislead youth.”
I know your article is about much more than this, but maybe it does start here. Even if you don’t have any large amount of land for a big garden, you can always grow a few vegetables in pots or in a corner of the yard. And as with me, it’ll be a learning experience. It seems so easy but there are a lot of pitfalls. For all that we profess to care about it, we’re really so far from nature.
“Any art, Jones says, is a kind of ‘fitting together’—a notion expressed by Aristotle and Aquinas as a putting of order into things, and this fitting together tends toward beauty. ”
Amen to that as well. We are told today that art is all about “self-expression,” and the result so often is weirdness or outright ugliness. Witness the horror show at the Olympics. The ancients didn’t see everything, nor need we pretend that they did, but they did see a lot, and we can learn from them.
An excellent piece. Thank you Dr. Cuddeback
Thanks Tom. Well said regarding the problem of the dominance of ‘self-expression.’ Blessings on your endeavors to till the earth, be they ever so small in scale.
Thanks
I appreciate the thanks!
I was reading in Sirach 37-39 or something about the craftsman, his work, and then how studying the law of the Most high, was better. I remember from a class in ICC that something was the best. Contemplation, was to gaze at God, or something. I’m basically just trying to find work that is best for me to do, even though I want to study. I just struggle to pick between the two. Like a craft or study. But I suppose I could do both. I just really appreciate the free education, and thoughts that you put out there. Basically, my question is: what is it about craftsmanship that is so important, if studying the law of the Most High is better? I’m guessing we aren’t asked to give up one or the other, just to do both in life? Thanks.
Thank you for this great question. A couple of quick thoughts here. First, studying the Law is always intrinsically better. Some are called to a contemplative life wherein they spend most of their time doing that. Others of us, necessarily, must pursue the crafts for the sake of the common good. All of us still need to have a significant place in our life for ‘studying the Law,’ as it were, even if we spend much time doing ‘crafts.’ But one further point is helpful: HOW we go about doing the crafts is important. True craftsmanship, while not the same as ‘studying the Law,’ is a better way to serve those who study the Law AND a better way to prepare ourselves to study the Law. In short, I suggest, do pursue both. A spirit of craftsmanship will help in all areas of life. Thanks again.