Aeon Essay Proposes Art Invented Humanity, Not Vice Versa

An essay published on Aeon challenges the conventional view that humans invented art, arguing instead that art invented humanity. The piece contrasts the ordinary 'truth of accountants'—based on objective facts—with 'ecstatic truth,' which relies on perception, interpretation, and subjective feeling. It contends that the latter is more fundamental and that art discloses a reality often missed by purely factual accounts. The essay explores how art shapes human consciousness and culture, suggesting a reversal of the traditional relationship between creator and creation.