On Wed, Jul 25, 2012 at 4:30 AM, William Conger <[email protected]>wrote:
> Yes, but only in the sense of diverting discussion from aesthetic ideas. > Why do > you say ideals? That implies that the nature of the aesthetic is > recognized and > understood and that the role of aesthetic inquiry is simply to mark the > best > path to those ideals. I don't think it's clear what ideals, if any, are > aesthetic or if the aesthetic is a process instead of a route to an > idealized > goal. > wc > In order to serve as a model and as a basis for judgment, ideals need to be created. To paraphrase George Gissing: - Principles [and ideas] always become a matter of vehement discussion when practice [and ideals are] at ebb. Not by taking thought does one become an artist, or grow even an inch in that direction--which is not at all the same as saying that he who is an artist cannot profit by conscious effort. http://books.google.com/books?id=b9ZwZrQqRJIC&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq=Principles+ always+become+a+matter+of+vehement+discussion+when+practice+is+at+ebb.+Not+by +taking+thought+does+one+become+an+artist,&source=bl&ots=9trY7e6QdP&sig=ztFzx -ZpFlaeT7sMqwB5z3cU3UU&hl=en&ei=81mkTJjFPIqKtgOntZH-DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct =result&resnum=1&ved=0CBEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Principles%20always%20become%20a %20matter%20of%20vehement%20discussion%20when%20practice%20is%20at%20ebb.%20N ot%20by%20taking%20thought%20does%20one%20become%20an%20artist%2C&f=false
