在[[欧洲]]17世纪到18世纪，是艺术与[[科学]]一起进入知识累积与相互啓发而一同发展的关键时期，这个过程促使艺术与科学的成品成为西方人文思想及文明展现的重要象徵<ref name="Friedrick2003">cite book|author=希尔Heer, Friedrick|title=欧洲思想史|=http://books.google.com/books?id=dIQB25_F9G4C&pg=PA572|accessdate=16 February 2013|year=2003|publisher=Chinese University Press|isbn=978-962-201-874-7|pages=572–</ref>。
欧洲[[启蒙运动]]下发展出的[[百科全书]]亦是以艺术与科学所引发的人类群体新状态而合编的以[[字典]]为标题的著作<ref name="DARNTONDarnton1979"> cite book|author1=Robert DARNTON|author2=Robert Darnton|title=The Business of Enlightenment: A Publishing History of the Encyclopédie, 1775-1800|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=kP1sgbO_Hh0C|accessdate=1 February 2013|date=1 January 1979|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-08786-6|page=6</ref><ref name="Diderot_Enlightenment">cite web|url=http://users.cis.fiu.edu/~ukhan01/writings/Diderot_Enlightenment.htm |title=Diderot's role in The Enlightenment |publisher=Users.cis.fiu.edu |date= |accessdate=2013-12-20</ref><ref name="Nicholson2012">{{Specialcite book|author=William Nicholson|title=The British Encyclopedia, Or Dictionary of Arts and Sciences Comprising an Accurate and Popular View of the Present Improved State of Human Knowledge Volume 6|url=http: 贡献得分//books.google.com/books?id=gW-qLgEACAAJ|accessdate=16 February 2013|date=18 May 2012|publisher=General Books|isbn=978-1-236-16251-9}}</ref><ref name="BeachMorgan1904">cite book|author1=Frederick Converse Beach|author2=Forrest Morgan|author3=George Edwin Rines|coauthors=Nathan Haskell Dole, E. T. Roe, Thomas Campbell Copeland|title=The Encyclopedia americana: a general dictionary of the arts and sciences, literature, history, biography, geography, etc., of the world; editor-in-chief, Frederick Converse Beach ... managing editor, Forrest Morgan ... assistant editors, Nathan Haskell Dole ... Edward Thomas Roe ... Thomas Campbell Copeland ...|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=b55UAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=16 February 2013|year=1904|publisher=The Americana company</ref>。
== 语源 ==
# 艺术作为一「自由区」：免去社会责难的作用。[[当代艺术]]强调对于文化差异的宽容，也强调其解放的功能（社会调查、行动、颠覆、解构主义），因此在研究和实验上都更加开放。
# 针对社会调查、颠覆或（和）[[无政府主义]]的艺术：类似有关政治变革的艺术，颠覆或[[解构主义]]会在没有特定政治目的的情形下提出特定社会议题的问题。此时艺术的功能只是批评社会的某一面向。
{{Special# 针对社会议题的艺术：艺术可以用来唤醒大家对许多社会事件的关注。许多艺术活动的目的就是提高对[[自闭症]]<ref>cite news|last=Trotter|first=Jeramia|title=RiverKings raising autism awareness with art|=http: 贡献得分}}{{Special//southaven-hornlake.wmctv.com/news/arts-culture/riverkings- raising-autism-awareness-art/52165|accessdate=2013-02-21|newspaper=WMC tv|date=2011-02-15 dead link|date=2018年4月 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes </ref><ref>cite news|title=Art exhibit aims to raise awareness of autism|=http: 贡献得分}}//www.newsminer.com/article_1a9b7e33-6ca0-56a5-89f3- c9c0798815a2.html|accessdate=2013-02-21|newspaper=Daily News-Miner|date=2012-04-04 dead link|date=2018年4月 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes </ref><ref>cite web|title=Anchorage art exhibit to raise awareness about autism|=http://dhss.alaska.gov/News/Documents/press/2011/Anchorage_art_exhibit_ autism_PR033111.pdf|publisher=Alaska Department of Health and Social Services|accessdate=2013-02-21 dead link|date=2018年4月 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes </ref>、[[癌症]]<ref>cite news|last=Ruhl|first=Ashleigh|title=Photographer Seeks Subjects To Help Raise Cancer Awareness|=http://www.gazettes.com/lifestyle/arts_and_entertainment/photographer- seeks-subjects-to-help-raise-cancer-awareness/article_10291db8-7614- 11e2-be53-0019bb2963f4.html|accessdate=2013-02-21|newspaper=Gazettes|date=2013-02-18 dead link|date=2018年4月 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes </ref><ref>cite news|title=Bra art raising awareness for breast cancer|=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/videos/news/national/bra-art-raising- awareness-for-breast-cancer/vgBSm/|accessdate=2013-02-21|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|date=no date given dead link|date=2018年4月 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes </ref><ref>cite news|last=Flynn|first=Marella|title=October art walk aims to raise money, awareness for breast cancer|=http://gargoyle.flagler.edu/2007/10/october-art-walk-aims-to-raise- money-awareness-for-breast-cancer/|accessdate=2013-02-21|newspaper=Flagler College Gargoyle|date=10/1/2007</ref>、、[[人口贩卖]]<ref>cite news|title=Students get creative in the fight against human trafficking|=http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/local/montgomery/ud-students-use-art-to- raise-awareness#.USb6vFeIqAg|accessdate=2013-02-21|newspaper=WDTN Channel 2 News|date=2012-11-26 dead link|date=2018年4月 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes </ref><ref>cite news|title=Looking to raise awareness at ArtPrize|url=http://www.wwmt.com/shared/newsroom/top-stories/stories/wwmt_looking- raise-awareness-at-artprize-4625.shtml|accessdate=2013-02-21|newspaper=WWMT, Newschannel 3|date=10/1/2012|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://archive.org/web/20131014200141/http://www.wwmt.com/shared/newsroom/top-stories/stories/wwmt_looking-/|archivedate=2013-10-14</ref>及许多其他议题的关注。
# 艺术在心理及治疗上的目的：艺术治疗师，[[心理治疗师]]，临床心理学家也会用艺术作为工具，称为艺术疗法。
# 以宣传或商业化为其目的的艺术：艺术可以是一种宣传的形式，渐渐的影响大家的观念或情绪。艺术也可以作为销售手法中的一部份，也是要影响观念或是情绪。此时艺术的目的是要影响读者，对特定事物或概念有特定情绪或心理上的反应<ref>Roland Barthes, Mythologies</ref>。