July
@july
What is art? This is a question I’ve been thinking about a lot recently. Why is important, and why do we care? I’m not a pessimist, like Rousseau: he talks about societies that develop the arts and sciences leads to corruption and moral degradation; when we can really just survive on the bare necessities, right?
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John Hoang
@jhoang
Tolstoy argues that the proper purpose of art is to transmit feelings of human unity and “to set up, in place of the existing reign of force, that kingdom of God, i.e. of love, which we all recognize to be the highest aim of human life.” https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/leo-tolstoy/what-is-art/aylmer-maude
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Eric Platon
@ic
Do we know if the translation to God comes from the same word in the original language, or the word divine, for example?
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Eric Platon
@ic
Curious, as this reminds of several writings intersecting notions of gods and Love. Top of the head is Erich Fromm, who considers the “love of God” the highest form of love (so capitalised), and spends time explaining what “God” means—the transcendent in us.
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John Hoang
@jhoang
Tbh I’m not sure. But on a different note, I need to read Erich Fromm. I’ve been thinking of this idea of the emergent good that arises only if humans exists and it sounds similar to this idea. Do you have any recommendations of where to start?
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Eric Platon
@ic
“The Art of Loving” is a short read, and covers the essential related to the thread here. I have not read Tolstoy and really wondering about the translation. That reminds me of the old problem with translating gestalt in English, mislead perhaps a generation of people.
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John Hoang
@jhoang
I’ve never heard of this problem. What are some examples?
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