Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Mind and Its Place in Nature', 'On Relations of Universals and Particulars' and 'The Principles of Art'

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6 ideas

7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 5. Supervenience / c. Significance of supervenience

16045	General facts supervene on particular facts, but cannot be inferred from them [Russell, by Bennett,K]
	Full Idea: Russell noted that you cannot arrive at general facts by inference from numerous particular facts, ..but general facts logically supervene on particular ones. So the general facts supervene, but are not entailed.
	From: report of Bertrand Russell (On Relations of Universals and Particulars [1911]) by Karen Bennett - Supervenience §3.2
	A reaction: The belief that the general facts supervene on the particular ones then seems to be more a matter of faith than of fact. Or maybe it is analytic, depending on what we understand by 'general'. Universal, or generalised?

8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 13. Tropes / b. Critique of tropes

14327	Trope theorists cannot explain how tropes resemble each other [Russell, by Mumford]
	Full Idea: The trope theorist cannot explain how a number of tropes resemble each other.
	From: report of Bertrand Russell (On Relations of Universals and Particulars [1911]) by Stephen Mumford - Dispositions 07.6
	A reaction: [My 13,000th Idea: 31/10/11] Every theory is left with something it cannot explain. Is it likely that we could come up with an explanation of resemblance? It seems like a combination of identity in the physics, and identity in the brain mechanisms.

12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 6. Inference in Perception

7628	Broad rejects the inferential component of the representative theory [Broad, by Maund]
	Full Idea: Broad, one of the most important modern defenders of the representative theory of perception, explicitly rejects the inferential component of the theory.
	From: report of C.D. Broad (Mind and Its Place in Nature [1925]) by Barry Maund - Perception Ch.1
	A reaction: Since the supposed inferences happen much too quickly to be conscious, it is hard to see how we could distinguish an inference from an interpretation mechanism. Personally I interpret things long before the question of truth arises.

21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 4. Art as Expression

20420	The emotion expressed is non-conscious, but feels oppressive until expression relieves it [Collingwood]
	Full Idea: The emotion expressed is one of whose nature the person feeling it is no longer conscious. As unexpressed, he feels it in a helpless and oppressed way; as expressed, the oppression has vanished. His mind is somehow lightened and eased.
	From: R.G. Collingwood (The Principles of Art [1938], p.110), quoted by Gary Kemp - Croce and Collingwood 1
	A reaction: It sounds like the regular smoking of cigarettes. This is Collingwood answer the doubts I felt about Idea 20419. I would have thought the desire of Picasso was to create another painting, but not to express yet another new oppressive feeling.

21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 7. Ontology of Art

20421	Art exists ideally, purely as experiences in the mind of the perceiver [Collingwood, by Kemp]
	Full Idea: For Collingwood (and Croce) the work of art is an ideal object; …they are things that exist only in the mind, that is, only when one perceives. …The physical work exists to make this experience available.
	From: report of R.G. Collingwood (The Principles of Art [1938]) by Gary Kemp - Croce and Collingwood 2
	A reaction: This means that the paintings in a gallery cease to be works of art when the gallery is shut, which sounds odd. I suppose 'work of art' is ambiguous, between the experience (right) and the facilitator of the experience (wrong).

21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 6. Value of Art

20406	Art clarifies the artist's mind and feelings, thus leading to self-knowledge [Collingwood, by Davies,S]
	Full Idea: Collingwood suggests art should be thought of not as product or artifact but as an act or process of expression through which the artist clarifies her initially vague emotions and states of mind. As such, it is a source of self-knowledge.
	From: report of R.G. Collingwood (The Principles of Art [1938], Ch.6) by Stephen Davies - The Philosophy of Art (2nd ed) 8.4
	A reaction: I might believe this of writing novels, but not much else.