I'm less concerned with divining Schnieder's position than I am with what might be meant bothin the genral and the specific by the idea (ideal ) of autonomy - and I do think that your examples of "aesthetic experience" as sui generis, "its own thing" (or self generated) as is different from an aural experience or an orgasm experience is an important point - here we have the claim to an experience independent, or miss aligned from it stimuli - in other words a asymmetrical economy - a subjective experience that is one's own
On Sat, Oct 13, 2012 at 6:30 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > In a message dated 10/13/12 5:43:37 PM, [email protected] writes: > > > > But might we not address the issues raised without having to actually > > address Schneider's arguments (muddled as they are) - This refusal to > deal > > with issues outside of the instrumentality of one's own subjectivity > > rather > > than for the sake of the collective is the type of privatization of > public > > space that I indicated to William has come to be endemic of this > listserv. > > I > > sent this text along because the question of the autonomy (independent > > nature) of aesthetic experience seems to underlie many of this listserv's > > members value systems, expectations and beliefs. > > > > Saul -- I actually believe it's a good thing when blabber mouths like me > refuse to deal with issues outside our competence. I don't think my saying > nothing is a "privatizing of public space". Almost the opposite. It's an > affront for me to take up public space babbling on with "my thoughts" when > the > topic is something I don't understand at all. > > Believe it: the sole reason I said anything at all about Schneider's piece > was this: I could imagine some listers reading it and humbly concluding, > "This abstruse thing is over my head! I'm not schooled enough for this > recondite forum!" When the fact is, as you say, the piece is impenetrable > for the > simple reason that it's muddled. > > I commend your attempt to clarify Schneider's use of 'autonomy' with your > phrase "(independent nature) of aesthetic experience", but I'm not sure > he > meant to be talking about "experience" at all. If by "independent nature" > you mean that (and you may not mean this) an "aesthetic experience" is sui > generis, "its own thing" in the way that a taste experience is different > from > an aural experience or an orgasm experience, I'm with you. I myself have > tried several times to generate forum discussion on this topic, but I was > unpersuasive: the thread died the day I began it. (I'm ready to concede the > failure may have been because I bungled my attempt to articulate the > question.) > > -- S a u l O s t r o w *Critical Voices* 21STREETPROJECTS La Table Ronde 162 West 21 Street NYC, NY 10011 [email protected] www.21stprojects.org
