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From: anderson@uwvax.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.music.classical
Subject: Art subsumed in philosophy??
Message-ID: <283@uwvax.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 31-May-84 01:23:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: uwvax.283
Posted: Thu May 31 01:23:05 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Jun-84 09:24:10 EDT
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 32

<>
> First of all, when we talk of music, we are speaking of a much larger
> field known as aesthetics (of course everyone knows that).  Aesthetics
> can and does take on an unbelievably varied number of roles in society
> and it is not only the aestheticians responsibility, but the average
> person's as well to decide what that role should or can be.
> .....................It is impossible to
> listen to music without some sort of theory or "philosophy" if you will
> about what it is doing for you.
> Once you make a decision about what art is to you, there is an
> implicit value judgement placed on all aesthetics and what role they
> play in our society and culture (or what role the should play).  This is
> why I say that all art is by nature within the realm of philosophy.
>			Tom Twiss

My comments:

1) Adopting an aesthetic does not imply judgement of other aesthetics
   or of the social role of aesthetics.
2) Not everyone has a fixed aesthetic with respect to music appreciation
   (if they were forced to think about it they might come up with one, but
   as it is the musical experience may be strictly emotional or sensuous).
3) There are many aspects to music and art (such as the
   technical and mechanical aspects) which have nothing at all to do
   with aesthetics or philosophy.

I understand what you're saying, and it would be more or less true if
everyone were a philosophy major and had to write a term paper on the
aesthetics of music.  As it is, however, I think you're taking the
importance of systematization too far.

David Anderson (wisc-rsch!anderson)