I'm just using a long quote from Veblen in the book In point of substantial fact, the gratification and the culture, or the spiritual attitude or habit of mind, resulting from an habitual contemplation of the anthropomorphism, clannishness, and leisurely self-complacency of the gentleman of an early day, or from a familiarity with the animistic superstitions and the exuberant truculence of the Homeric heroes, for instance, is, aesthetically considered, more legitimate than the corresponding results derived from a matter-of-fact knowledge of things and a contemplation of latter-day civic or workmanlike efficiency. There can be but little question that the first-named habits have the advantage in respect of aesthetic or honorific value, and therefore in respect of the “worth” which is made the basis of award in the comparison. The content of the canons of taste, and more particularly of the canons of honor, is in the nature of things a resultant of the past life and circumstances of the race, transmitted to the later generation by inheritance or by tradition; and the fact that the protracted dominance of a predatory, leisure-class scheme of life has profoundly shaped the habit of mind and the point of view of the race in the past, is a sufficient basis for an aesthetically legitimate dominance of such a scheme of life in very much of what concerns matters of taste in the present. For the purpose in hand, canons of taste are race habits, acquired through a more or less protracted habituation to the approval or disapproval of the kind of things upon which a favorable or unfavorable judgment of taste is passed. Other things being equal, the longer and more unbroken the habituation, the more legitimate is the canon of taste in question. All this seems to be even truer of judgments regarding worth or honor than of judgments of taste generally. (Veblen 2010: 179 – 180).
I dream of a radical peace beyond such 'taste'. On Tuesday, 5 February 2019 08:04:07 UTC, Vam wrote: > > Humans are essentially animals ... > Hopefully, I will restore the discussion back to the topic. > > Animals >> primordial values : preservation >> > for-itself will >> reign of might >> feudal social structure. > > Animals >> primordial values : procreation >> > fot-itself will >> reign of might and power to secure, wily charm to > seduce >> family formation within the feudal structural norms >> SOCIETY. > > Over millennia, men leap frog onto liberty and justice, and gave > themselves a democratic society, through still riddled by the same ancient > primordial values. > > Now, when (some) people are free of primodial values >>> > > What are their dreams ? > > -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
