Combining Philosophers

All the ideas for H.Putnam/P.Oppenheim, Clive Bell and Stephen Davies

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43 ideas

1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 3. Analysis of Preconditions
'Necessary' conditions are requirements, and 'sufficient' conditions are guarantees [Davies,S]
2. Reason / D. Definition / 1. Definitions
A definition of a thing gives all the requirements which add up to a guarantee of it [Davies,S]
2. Reason / D. Definition / 13. Against Definition
Feminists warn that ideologies use timeless objective definitions as a tool of repression [Davies,S]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / j. Explanations by reduction
Six reduction levels: groups, lives, cells, molecules, atoms, particles [Putnam/Oppenheim, by Watson]
21. Aesthetics / A. Aesthetic Experience / 2. Aesthetic Attitude
Good art produces exaltation and detachment [Bell,C]
Aesthetic experience involves perception, but also imagination and understanding [Davies,S]
21. Aesthetics / A. Aesthetic Experience / 3. Taste
The faculty of 'taste' was posited to explain why only some people had aesthetic appreciation [Davies,S]
21. Aesthetics / A. Aesthetic Experience / 4. Beauty
The word 'beauty' leads to confusion, because it denotes distinct emotions [Bell,C]
21. Aesthetics / A. Aesthetic Experience / 5. Natural Beauty
Our feeling for natural beauty is different from the aesthetic emotion of art [Bell,C]
We only see landscapes as artistic if we ignore their instrumental value [Bell,C]
21. Aesthetics / A. Aesthetic Experience / 6. The Sublime
Visual form can create a sublime mental state [Bell,C]
The sublime is negative in awareness of insignificance, and positive in showing understanding [Davies,S]
21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 1. Defining Art
The idea that art forms are linked into a single concept began in the 1740s [Davies,S]
Defining art as representation or expression or form were all undermined by the avant-garde [Davies,S]
'Aesthetic functionalism' says art is what is intended to create aesthetic experiences [Davies,S]
Art is the expression of an emotion for ultimate reality [Bell,C]
Aestheticism invites artist to create beauty, but with no indication of how to do it [Bell,C]
21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 2. Art as Form
Only artists can discern significant form; other people must look to art to find it [Bell,C, by Gardner]
Maybe significant form gives us a feeling for ultimate reality [Bell,C]
Significant form is the essence of art, which I believe expresses an emotion about reality [Bell,C]
'Form' is visual relations, and it is 'significant' if it moves us aesthetically; art needs both [Bell,C, by Feagin]
21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 4. Art as Expression
Music may be expressive by being 'associated' with other emotional words or events [Davies,S]
It seems unlikely that sad music expresses a composer's sadness; it takes ages to write [Davies,S]
The only expression art could have is the emotion resulting from pure form [Bell,C]
21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 6. Art as Institution
The 'institutional' theory says art is just something appropriately placed in the 'artworld' [Davies,S]
21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 8. The Arts / a. Music
Music is too definite to be put into words (not too indefinite!) [Davies,S]
21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 1. Artistic Intentions
The title of a painting can be vital, and the artist decrees who the portrait represents [Davies,S]
We must know what the work is meant to be, to evaluate the artist's achievement [Davies,S]
Intentionalism says either meaning just is intention, or ('moderate') meaning is successful intention [Davies,S]
The meaning is given by the audience's best guess at the author's intentions [Davies,S]
21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 2. Copies of Art
Mere copies of pictures are not significant - unless the copies are very exact [Bell,C]
If we could perfectly clone the Mona Lisa, the original would still be special [Davies,S]
Art that is multiply instanced may require at least one instance [Davies,S]
21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 4. Emotion in Art
Art is distinguished by its aesthetic emotion, which produces appropriate form [Bell,C]
Music isn't just sad because it makes the listener feel sad [Davies,S]
21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 6. Value of Art
Aesthetic contemplation is the best and most intense mental state [Bell,C]
Aesthetic experience is an exaltation which increases the possibilities of life [Bell,C]
21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 7. Art and Morality
If the depiction of evil is glorified, that is an artistic flaw [Davies,S]
It is an artistic defect if excessive moral outrage distorts the story, and narrows our sympathies [Davies,S]
Immorality may or may not be an artistic defect [Davies,S]
Only artistic qualities matter in art, because they also have the highest moral value [Bell,C]
A work which seeks approval for immorality, but alienates the audience, is a failure [Davies,S]
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 1. Religious Commitment / a. Religious Belief
Religion sees infinite value in some things, and irrelevance in the rest [Bell,C]