is=being Consequently the question would be "what would be(is) art's being"
On Sun, Jul 29, 2012 at 3:40 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > In a message dated 7/29/12 2:22:56 PM, [email protected] writes: > > > > Why "Make the users describe the notions behind their noises. Get them to > > see how psychoactive, how hallucinatory, words are, especially that > > deluding > > figment "IS"." ? Why not try and understand what they are getting at, > from > > their viewpoint? > > > Because the best way to do what you call "understand" their viewpoint is to > ask them to describe their notions behind key words. And it's often the > best way to get them to see how fuzzy/ambiguous/confused their own notions > are. > You weren't on the list during one of its most memorable episodes: The > attempt by a marvelously arrogant guy to "define 'art'" based on his > absolute > surety he "understood" what "art" "IS". After two weeks or so of internet > firefighting, it became clear that others, especially the eminently > respectable aesthetician Benedetto Croce, called 'art' some entities that > the guy > wouldn't call 'art'. E.g. Croce believed that a poet walking on a beach > could > compose a poem in his head, or composers could create symphonies in their > heads a la Mozart and Prokofief, even that a painter could imagine a visual > composition -- all of which, said Croce, should be called "works of art" > even > though they were never "committed to paper". The arrogant guy said, no, > they aren't "works of art". Are! Aren't! Are! Eventually it became clear > to > the that all he was doing was insisting that others use the word 'art' the > way he did, that what was at issue was a matter of CALLING and not IS-ING". > His whole premise that "art" IS a certain mind-independent entity, > imploded, > and he quit the forum. > > It may seem obvious to you that someone who comes to the table asking "What > is a miracle?" is already convinced that miracles "are", but, believe it, > the form of the question can fool most people. "What is an essence?" will > send one "thinker" after another scurrying off to find out what it is, > without > ever considering whether it IS at all. > > -- S a u l O s t r o w *Critical Voices* 21STREETPROJECTS 162 West 21 Street NYC, NY 10011
