[MD] Book: Art Instinct

[MarshaV]

At 01:58 PM 3/6/2009, you wrote:

>On Mar 6, 2009, at 10:51:05 AM, MarshaV <marshalz at charter.net> wrote:
>At 01:38 PM 3/6/2009, you wrote:
>
> >On Mar 6, 2009, at 9:59:57 AM, MarshaV <marshalz at charter.net> wrote:
> >At 12:49 PM 3/6/2009, you wrote:
> > > > At 11:33 AM 3/6/2009, you wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Book: The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "A lot of what counts as philosophy," he said, "is explaining and
> > > > > > justifying fundamental human intuitions," including "intuitions
> > > > about
> > > > > > the beautiful and the ugly." The problem has been that philosophy
> > > > > > "doesn't ask where the intuitions come from. ... Human nature is a
> > > > > > traditional philosophic topic, but let's face it, a lot of it is
> > > > > > uninformed armchair speculation by people who just happen to be
> > > > > > geniuses: Hobbes, Mill, Kant.:\"
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > http://www.mercurynews.com/books/ci_11690473
> > > > >
> > > > >Hey Marsha,
> > > > >
> > > > >Got it, read it. Interesting if somewhat pedantic. To a Darwinian
> > > > >everything is explained by evolution, just as to an MOQian everything
> > > > is
> > > > >explained by Quality. But, I think anyone interested in the arts will
> > > > find
> > > > >the book worthwhile. The following passage near the end especially
> > > > appealed
> > > > >to me:
> > > > >
> > > > >"The oft-described spirituality of artistic masterpieces, their
> > > > >otherworldly quality . . . involves a feeling -- experienced 
> by atheist
> > > > and
> > > > >believer alike -- that standing before a masterpiece you are in the
> > > > >presence of a power that exceeds anything you can imagine 
> for yourself,
> > > > >something greater than you ever can or will be. The rapture
> > > > masterpieces
> > > > >offer is literally ecstatic -- taking you out of yourself. Theists may
> > > > wish
> > > > >to attribute all this to the power of God, Darwinian humanists to the
> > > > near
> > > > >miraculous power of human genius. Both will approach such works as
> > > > >suppliants: we yield to them, allowing them to take us where 
> they will.
> > > > "
> > > > >
> > > > >This juxtaposition of the humanist with the theist reminded me of
> > > > Pirsig's
> > > > >conclusion in his SODV paper:
> > > > >
> > > > >"As Bohr might have loved to observe, science and art are just two
> > > > >different complementary ways of looking at the same thing. In the
> > > > largest
> > > > >sense it is really unnecessary to create a meeting of the arts and
> > > > sciences
> > > > >because in actual practice, at the most immediate level they 
> have never
> > > > >really been separated. They have always been different aspects of the
> > > > same
> > > > >human purpose."
> > > > >
> > > > >The same applies to the artists, scientists, theists, humanists and
> > > > >philosophers on this site.
> > > > >
> > > > >Platt
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Hi Platt,
> > > >
> > > > Are all five "ists" mentioned in the last sentence of equal value to
> > > > you? What if I added communist?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Marsha
> > >
> > >Hi Marsha,
> > >
> > >Political "ists" are definitely not of equal value to me, especially those
> > >like communists who enslave productive individuals to support an all
> > >powerful state.
> > >
> > >Platt
> >
> >Hi Platt,
> >
> >And I'd just as soon drop theists from the list because of the
> >stupefying dogma.
> >
> >
> >Marsha
> >
> >
> >
> >/
> >
> >Hi Marsha,
> >
> >Just so that I understand what you are saying, because in my
> >scattered mind there are all kinds of theists. Are you referring to
> >Theism, such as Christianity, which requires "a leap of faith" (a
> >phrase I believe incorrectly attributed to Kierkegaard, since, at
> >least in my readings, he speaks of three states of believing (being)
> >which one can transition through)? I don't want to get into this
> >definition of faith circle again, but I think you know what I am asking..
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Willblake2
>
>
>Greetings Will,
>
>I only know of the dogma of the three Abrahamic religions, Judaism,
>Christianity and Islam, but I would mean all theisms presuming that
>there is some underlying dogma and institution supporting the god-pattern.
>
>
>Marsha
>
>
>
>
>...
>_____________
>
>Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars..........
>...
>/
>
>Thanks, I hate institutions of all sorts, I think I have a distrust 
>of authority.  Nobody's going to tell me how to think, except maybe 
>God (ha, ha, just kidding).
>
>Willblake2

Hi Will,

Twice I heard a voice other than my own chattering from inside my 
head.  Once a voice said "People are as happy as they choose to be.", 
and at another time I heard "The answer is yes, no and all of the 
above".  Those experiences were a long time ago, but I never thought 
to label them the voice god.


Marsha




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Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.........
.
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