This introductory volume of the five-part series, "Disciplines in Art Education: Contexts of Understanding," provides a philosophical rationale for the idea of discipline-based art education. The idea models humanistic fundamentals by answering the basic human needs to communicate and share experiences with others (art making), find a place in time and be reminded of things worth remembering (art history), and be reasonable in deliberations about matters of importance (art criticism and aesthetics). The volume consists of 8 chapters: (1) "The Arts in the United States Today"; (2) "The Arts and the Human Person"; (3) "The Creation of Art"; (4) "The Tradition of Art: Art History"; (5) "The Critique of Art: Art Criticism"; (6) "The Philosophy of Art: Aesthetics"; (7) "Toward a Humanities-based Conception of Art Education"; and (8) "Teaching Art as a Humanity." The chapters are followed by extensive notes, annotated suggested readings, and an index. (MM)