Sunday, March 25, 2012

Self-consciousness vs the Other

Self-consciousness only exists when acknowledged. Second ambiguity becomes the action of one self-consciousness with double significance, creating its own actions and the action of the Other. Both are independent. This reminds me of the movie, Inception, when Ellen Page is told she is in control of her own dreams and the self defense and consciousness within herself starts to attack the Other. The figments of her imagination start to turn on the real her. Each seeks the death of the other. The Other and self cannot be held without contradiction. They are also entangled and endanger the death of the other. We can never get outside of the circle, like we can never reach the ontic. We are trying to free ourselves from the Other and they are doing the same. We must absorb the Other.

Monday, March 19, 2012

The Birth of Tragedy: Art as a Struggle

Nietzsche discusses the opposition between Dionysian, the god associated with intoxication, and Apollonian, the god of reason and stability. Dionysian is the music pulsing through your veins, while Apollonian is the visual arts. Apollonian makes us believe that the world is a stable environment, but this "is all just a veil of comforting illusion" (88). The only common factor between Dionysian and Apollonian in the principle of art and "the development of art is bound to the duality of the Apollonian and the Dionysian" (111).
The two separate art-worlds are dream and intoxication. In the dream world, each individual is the master artist and has full control and structure. Dreams are experienced with delight and joyful urgency. Apollo always has a solemn and pleased look and gives a calming appearance. Dionysian, or intoxication, can be created through the influence of a narcotic potion or the approach of spring. Barriers between people collapse and everyone experiences freedom. Everyone starts to feel like a god and becomes the art.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Matter of Fit

Goodman writes "truth of statements and rightness of descriptions, representations, exemplifications, expressions- of design, drawing, diction, rhythm- is primarily a matter of fit (138)." We are all searching for truth in our own worlds. Truth depends on context and we can never be 100% sure of anything. A statement can be more accepting if it is credible and tested, but it is never true. A statement can also become false the same exact way. Two statements can be contradicting and be accepted or rejected, depending on our context. We are trying to reach right conclusions. Permanent acceptability must be put through a sufficient condition of rightness. A picture represents truth, but the truth can never be extrapolated from the image. Rightness differs in the arts and the sciences. The closest we can come to finding the truth is joining in a general consensus.