I don't really know much about what Ayn Rand thought about Aesthetics, but it it true that she thought art and other aesthetic areas (music?) are just as objectively definable as values? Well they are values aren't they? In contrast to non-aesthetic values however, I don't think they can be defined. One person may prefer blue to red, another may dislike both. I don't see a rational method of aesthetic judgement, it seems automatic and instant, or an arbitrary decision at most.
I can see myself agreeing with every other part of Objectivism, but if the above is correct, then I can't see myself agreeing with her here. I'm unclear about what is meant by objective aesthetics though.
I agree that aesthetics are a requirement for humans, as I discussed a little bit in the Starting From Scratch thread. However I don't believe there is a way of determining "good art" or "bad music", not for humans as a group, and not even for a single person because one's tastes can change very rapidly.
At present I think aesthetics is a realm of subjectivity, and choices or reactions to art and music are purely arbitrary. Really though, I don't know anything about this area of philosophy so please fill me in.
They can be defined, just not as easily. Not NEARLY as easily. The Romantic Manifesto is the book to read on this topic. Don't jump to any conclusions until you have read it.
I'm hoping it's mentioned in Philosophy: Who Needs It? which I'm reading right now as I type this, but I'm just over half way through and there hasn't been anything. The Romantic Manifesto is one of the books I haven't been able to find yet. Still, I guess it's not as essential as the books that I have yet to read.
mmmm... well I just finished reading the romantic manifesto, and I am attempting to...
| QUOTE (Romantic Manifesto p. 55) |
| The formulation of a common vocabulary of music would require these answers. It would require: the translation of the musical experience, the inner experience, into conceptual terms; an explanation of why certain sounds strike us a certain way; a definition of the axioms of musical perception, from which the appropriate esthetic principles could be derived |
I'm starting out from a mathmatical standpoint, examining the nature of frequancy and it's effect on the human ear.
Does anyone with a background in Psychology want to help me out? To reference, the level I'm working at is college freshman majoring in math and physics.
