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Single Idea 20391

[filed under theme 2. Reason / D. Definition / 13. Against Definition ]

Full Idea

According to the feminist critique, ideologies that operate as tools of political repression are falsely represented as definitions possessing a timeless, natural, asocial, universal objectivity.

Gist of Idea

Feminists warn that ideologies use timeless objective definitions as a tool of repression

Source

Stephen Davies (The Philosophy of Art (2nd ed) [2016], 2.2)

Book Ref

Davies,Stephen: 'The Philosophy of Art (2nd ed)' [Wiley Blackwell 2016], p.27

A Reaction

I suppose this does not just apply to definitions, but to all expressions of ideologically repressive strategy. I'm trying to think of an example of a specifically feminist problem case. Davies doesn't cite anyone.

The 24 ideas from Stephen Davies

20387 Aesthetic experience involves perception, but also imagination and understanding [Davies,S]
20385 The faculty of 'taste' was posited to explain why only some people had aesthetic appreciation [Davies,S]
20386 The sublime is negative in awareness of insignificance, and positive in showing understanding [Davies,S]
20384 The idea that art forms are linked into a single concept began in the 1740s [Davies,S]
20388 'Necessary' conditions are requirements, and 'sufficient' conditions are guarantees [Davies,S]
20389 A definition of a thing gives all the requirements which add up to a guarantee of it [Davies,S]
20391 Feminists warn that ideologies use timeless objective definitions as a tool of repression [Davies,S]
20390 Defining art as representation or expression or form were all undermined by the avant-garde [Davies,S]
20392 'Aesthetic functionalism' says art is what is intended to create aesthetic experiences [Davies,S]
20393 The 'institutional' theory says art is just something appropriately placed in the 'artworld' [Davies,S]
20395 The title of a painting can be vital, and the artist decrees who the portrait represents [Davies,S]
20396 We must know what the work is meant to be, to evaluate the artist's achievement [Davies,S]
20397 If we could perfectly clone the Mona Lisa, the original would still be special [Davies,S]
20398 Art that is multiply instanced may require at least one instance [Davies,S]
20399 Intentionalism says either meaning just is intention, or ('moderate') meaning is successful intention [Davies,S]
20401 The meaning is given by the audience's best guess at the author's intentions [Davies,S]
20402 Music is too definite to be put into words (not too indefinite!) [Davies,S]
20405 Music may be expressive by being 'associated' with other emotional words or events [Davies,S]
20403 It seems unlikely that sad music expresses a composer's sadness; it takes ages to write [Davies,S]
20404 Music isn't just sad because it makes the listener feel sad [Davies,S]
22704 Immorality may or may not be an artistic defect [Davies,S]
22705 If the depiction of evil is glorified, that is an artistic flaw [Davies,S]
22707 It is an artistic defect if excessive moral outrage distorts the story, and narrows our sympathies [Davies,S]
22706 A work which seeks approval for immorality, but alienates the audience, is a failure [Davies,S]