I was referring to the following from William Conger: "To examine the
institutional theory in action is to examine the results of its process."
I understood him to be referring to theory primarily, rather than art,
although without some level of agreement regarding both terms confusion is
most likely to follow.
If you insist that any two individuals will have somewhat varying
interpretations/understandings of either term, I know of no way to deny your
thesis. The next implication in that perspective would seem to be the end of
theorizing/conceptualizing or discussing theory or art as no one would be in
absolute agreement about anything. If we recognize no necessary meaning in
terminology (no "dictionary of meanings") I wonder what language is left to
us to communicate.
GC
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: "What is XXX?"
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:05 EDT
Geoff Crealock writes:
"Re: Examining the theory
I don't know about art ..... But, I would submit that one aspect of
examining a theory might be understanding its products or results but that
surely leaves the process of arriving at those results unexplored/unknown.
Who did what under what circumstances, under what pressures/expectations
which resulted in this result this time?
Geoff Crealock"
I can't find the thread "Examining the Theory", but your posting occasions
this thought:
Your line "one aspect of examining a theory might be understanding ITS
products" betrays a circularity. For example, if it's a theory about "What
is art?"
the 'its' seems to assume you've already "identified" "art", or you
wouldn't
be able to cite "its" products.
If, however, the "it" you have in mind is the THEORY, you have essentially
the same problem: "What is art?" -- as with any question of the "What is
XXX?"
form -- probably assumes the assumes the existence oof a mind-independent
quality/category that "IS" "art" -- but what if the adversary's position is
that
there is no such mind-independent entity? If your subject is solely your
own
notion of art, and the 'it' is merely a theory of your own personal notion,
it's
liable to be of limited interest, and it's a fairly sure thing it will
amount
in the end to a unilateral stipulative definition. "This is my theory of
what my notion of art is." "Oh? Well that's not MY idea."
**************
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