ART, life and literature

Philosophy Forums Philosophy
1

In the ‘‘diversity thread’’ I asked Sammy for some thoughts on
the ART’S, and he cut and past some nonsense about Dostoevsky,
clearly having never read him… which leads me to wonder
about the impact that ART and especially literature has
on our values and idea’s…

there have been roughly two schools of thought on literature…
one is that literature must be socially relevant…
that literature brings us into contact with the social problems
and issues of our day… and sometimes, even providing us
with answers to those social problems… for example, Victor
Hugo wrote a massive book, ‘‘Les Misérables’’… the original has over
1200 pages including 200 pages on the sewers of Paris…
(yes, I read every single page including those 200 pages about
the sewers of Paris, but back then I had way more patience than I
do today)

and the other school of thought is that ART is supposed to entertain us,
not educate us…the social ills of a particular society/state is not
the problem of ART, at least that is the modern version of ART…
the days of ART being a means of criticizing a state or society is long gone…
and why? and this is actually philosophy, but to criticize the state/society today,
is deemed to be unpatriotic… and no publisher will risk that criticism today…
a novel that criticizes the state/society today, as Hugo criticize the French
state/society, would never, ever get published today…and because
of this failure of nerve to stand up for something, anything, is why
ART/literature right now anyway, has no value… and not worth reading…

and the only literature worth reading today is Science Fiction…
and why sci-fi? Because sci-fi is willing to discuss the big
issues that other literature avoids… for example, Sci-Fi
is willing to ask what it means to be human? What values/beliefs
that are worth having and why…what values are worth living for,
and what values are worth dying for? Sci-fi is not afraid to ask
the big questions about the meaning of life and what that looks
like… by showing us what life could and should look like,
that shines a light on what we think about life and what it
looks like today… Books like the Expanse series, brings us
closer to what it means to be human better than any dozens of
philosophy books written today… or any literature written today…

ART in many ways tells us about the ‘‘Human condition’’ better than
dozens of philosophers…

and that is the value of ART/literature… knowledge of the
‘‘Human condition’’ that can’t be found in any other way…

Kropotkin

2

Sci-Fi can be pretty nifty at times.

I think educational art is better than art-for-pleasure.

But this is my struggle : do what feels best vs do what is best.

3

Hi Dan and Kropotki:

For better or worse, wether the utility or the pure enjoyment of art could ever be decided , on basis of how relevant they are or could become, sci-fi is a natural outgrowth , replacing the distinction between hoping for a more focused objectivity that prior inspiration could objectify ,

So both play into the distinction Kropotkinyou made between pleasure and work, for ideally the best deal is to work toward more pleasure even in work.

Scie fi is an extension of that premise from the beginning of the developing hope that science CAN make life better and more enjoyable regardless what the future holds,

There are nayers out there that see abstraction is proof of decay and the loss of common sense

dunno

4

not very widely read, but consider Herman Melville’s The Whale (Moby Dick)… so much exposure to whaling practices…

but not meant as a textbook

there is beauty in the words/frame disappearing as you are experiencing the habitual skill they put/articulate you in

weavers of memories you (may have) never lived except in imagination — using the pfigments of your own memories/life

5

Implied separation between fact and fiction inspiration perspiration
Models to live by

6

K: I appreciate your thoughts…thank you…

Kropotkin