Objective vs. Subjective

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1 AESTHETICS WEEK 2 Ancient Greek Philosophy & Objective Beauty Objective vs. Subjective Objective: something that can be known, which exists as part of reality, independent of thought or an observer. Subjective: existing in the mind; belonging to the thinking subject rather than to the object of thought 1

2 Is beauty objective or subjective? In other words Is beauty a property of some objects (like mass, shape, etc.) Or is beauty a judgment of the mind observing the object (an emotion, feeling or evaluation) Why does it matter? Judgments based on objective matters can be true or false. Meaning we might be able to discover criteria on which to base our aesthetic judgments Judgments based on subjective considerations are only true relativeto the person making them. Something might be beautiful to you, but not to others but nobody is wrong in their conclusions 2

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4 The Ancient Greek Concept of Art The Greeks did not have our modern concept of Art. Techne (often translated the arts ) area of human expertise or craft (ex. medicine, carpentry, mathematics, etc). Plato & Aristotle do refer to the the imitative arts (ex. painting, poetry, sculpture) or pleasure giving arts (amusements). Plato ranked the imitative arts as the least important of the arts. The Ancient Greek Concept of Art Both Plato and Aristotle assumed all art should represent the world in some way. Mimesis: art as imitation or copying. Using art to replicate something as it would be seen in nature. 4

5 Pythagoras Pythagoras ( BCE) was a philosopher and mathematician from the Greek Island of Samos. He lead a group of devoted followers in a secretive philosophical/religious cult which viewed numbers as divine. a 2 +b 2 =c 2 To Pythagoras mathematics was a form of knowledge that was certain, objective and universally true. 5

6 Enter Plato Plato ( BCE) was strongly influenced by Pythagoras. Plato replaced Pythagoras divine numbers with his doctrine of perfect Ideal Forms. The physical world is just a shadow of a higher realm of abstract archetypes or Forms. 6

7 How do we understand such different objects belong to the same class? Plato s Forms Plato s Forms are both the essences and ideals of the physical objects or qualities that correspond to them Essence: a things ultimate nature; what all members of a class of objects share in common Ideal: the standard of perfection (for Plato, Forms are eternal and unchanging) 7

8 The Forms and Their Shadows All entities in the physical world depend on the Forms which exist outside of space and time. But unlike their archetypal counterparts, physical entities are subject to imperfection and decay. Our senses can only see the shadows, but the forms can be perceived through reason. Of Horses and Horseness To the skeptical comment I see horses but I don t see Horseness Plato replied because you have eyes but no intellect. There is a Form for each species of entity that exist. (ex. All tables are expressions of perfect tableness ) Qualities also have Forms. One of the most supreme of forms is the Form of Perfect Beauty. 8

9 Plato s Theory of Beauty Beauty is an objective quality (it is real) with its basis in the world of Ideal Forms. Physical objects, etc. may manifest or participate in beauties true Form but they are only imperfect shadowy reflections of it. Our physical senses only perceive beauties shadow, but through rational contemplation one can perceive beauties true Form Beauty is Loves Highest Object True Beauty The Form of beauty Plato thought the young should be instructed to contemplate the body of a lover. Then by a processes of abstraction work step by step toward understanding the True form behind his/her beauty. Practices, customs, knowledge Souls All bodies generally One body 9

10 Plato s criteria for evaluating Art: Unity and Proportion In Plato s view visual art is thrice removed from the Form it imitates Art is an imitation of imitations. 10

11 The Dangers Inherent in Art Art can (and often does) distort reality it provides untrustworthy or false understanding of the world. Art arouses emotions and can deter us from reasoning clearly. Drama often promotes superstitious thinking and immoral behavior [Euripides ] Medeawas about a barbarian woman who betrayed her father and brothers to help the heroic Jason obtain the Golden Fleece. But after she had borne him two children Jason took a new, native-born bride, since his people feared Medeaas a foreigner and a witch. Medea, enraged seeks revenge by killing their tow children. -Cynthia Freeman s summery in But Is It Art (pg 32) 11

12 Plato vs. the Arts Art, in Plato's view, encourages talented people to play in the shadows when they should be focused on becoming philosophers. Truest reality (the Forms) can only be perceived by abstract thought. Plato continually attacks art and artists in his written works. His favorite target poets. Plato said of poetry with a few rare exceptions it is able to corrupt even decent people Censorship of the Arts in the Republic In The RepublicPlato describes his ideal city. In it all poetry is banned on the grounds that it falsely masquerades as knowledge and is detrimental to the human mind (Janaway 7) 12

13 (Intellectual) History Repeats Itself Some Platonic anxieties about the power of images are echoed today by the influential French social critic Jean Baudrillard. He argues that images and simulated realities are all that exist now: Television images, advertising and fashion photography, for example, create a replacement reality that obscures what is really real. Baudrillard sterm for this condition is the simulacrum a kind of world in which representations of things, and not the things themselves, are taken to be real Terry Barrett From Why is That Art? Ideal Forms Metaphysics Epistemology Axiology Rationalism Art has little or even negative value 13

14 Aristotle Aristotle ( BCE), A pupil of Plato s, and the teacher of Alexander the Great. Aristotle s writings laid the foundations for logic and the natural sciences. Fields of enquiry systematized by Aristotle still in use today:logic, physics, political science, economics, psychology, metaphysics, meteorology, rhetoric, ethics. 14

15 Aristotle Rejects Plato s Forms Aristotle rejected Plato s belief in a higher realm of perfect Forms. Aristotle believed that formsexist, but they are inherent in the physical object or quality itself. A physical object is matter realizing some form. Aristotle and Final Causes Objects realize their form by following a path of development towards their natural end. What is a things natural end? To Aristotle everything has been designed for some purpose to truly understand a thing one must discover it s final cause Aristotle s Four Causes 1. material causeis the material of which it consists. 2. formal causethe arrangement of that matter. 3. Efficient causeis what moved the matter into a particular form 4. final causeis its aim or purpose. That for the sake for which a thing is what it is. 15

16 Aristotle s Theory of Beauty Beauty is an objective quality of a thing embodied in its form specifically in its appearance and function as relates to its purpose. Beauty is not a single essence-there are many kinds of beauty (as there are many kinds of embodied forms) In Parts of AnimalsAristotle encourages his students to see beauty in the most unlikely of places. The Tigers jaws may seem frightening to us, but it is an excellent example of form suited to purpose. Practically everything has been discovered on many occasions or rather an infinity of occasions in the course of ages; for necessity may be supposed to have taught men the inventions which were absolutely required and when these were provided, it was natural that other things which would adorn and enrich life should grow up by degrees - Aristotle (Politics) 16

17 It is an instinct of human beings from childhood to engage in mimesis; and equally natural that everyone enjoys mimentic objects. A common occurrence indicates this: we enjoy contemplating the most precise images of things whose actual sight is painful to us, such as forms of the vilest animals and of corpses - Aristotle (Poetics) Aristotle s theory of Art We have an instinct to imitate and delight in imitation. Given time cultures will develop similar forms of art to adorn and enrich life. Art creation and consumption is part of human nature and so must serve some purpose. 17

18 Aristotle s theory of Art We have an instinct to imitate and delight in imitation. Given time cultures will develop similar forms of art to adorn and enrich life. Art creation and consumption is part of human nature and so must serve some purpose. Different artformsserve different functions. Aristotle s Method For Evaluating Art: determine the purpose of the artform. How well are the individual elements integrated into the whole to achieve its function? 18

19 The Role of Tragedy Aristotle believed the function of tragedy was to bring catharsis. Relief from emotions like pity or fear, by experiencing them in a safe setting. A refinement of emotional experience. Training in emotional control. Aristotle s theory of Art For Aristotle the creation and evaluation of artworks are exercises in understanding. There are rules that govern the beauty of objects. From knowledge of the artforms purpose we might derive objective standards for judging artworks. 19

20 Matter & Form Metaphysics Reason and Observation Epistemology Axiology Art educates and enhances life Aristotle in comparison to Plato Beauty is universal, not because it s part of a transcendent reality but because it develops out of human nature (necessity & enrichment). Art is not inferior to the world of Forms. Art can be superior to nature by capturing the universal or the excellent in its representations. Mimesis, for Aristotle, does not limit the artist to what actually is Mimesis includes the possibility of beautifying, improving and generalizing qualities found in nature (Barrett paraphrasing Halliwell) 20

21 Review: Ancient Greek Contributions to Aesthetics Art is assumed to be based in mimesis Art is good when it represents truth, ideals or advances morality. Art is bad when it distorts reality, corrupts understanding or promotes immorality. Comprehending beauty involves reason/contemplation. Art has can have powerful impact for good or evil and therefore should be regulated by the state. 21

22 Concepts Discussed So Far Are aesthetic judgments based on something objective or subjective? Plato: Objective. Based on Ideal Form of beauty Aristotle: Objective. Based on form within (human nature). What is the value of art? Plato: no value, or negative value Aristotle: Therapeutic (catharsis), adorn and enrich life 22

Aesthetics Mid-Term Exam Review Guide:

Aesthetics Mid-Term Exam Review Guide: Be sure to know Postman s Amusing Ourselves to Death: Here is an outline of the things I encourage you to focus on to prepare for mid-term exam. I ve divided it all