Thomas H. Troeger
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195398885
- eISBN:
- 9780199866236
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195398885.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This book explores an issue at the nerve of the long-term health of all churches: how godly wonder can be reborn through renewed attention to the place of beauty in preaching and worship. The book ...
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This book explores an issue at the nerve of the long-term health of all churches: how godly wonder can be reborn through renewed attention to the place of beauty in preaching and worship. The book opens with an exploration of the theological and cultural difficulties of defining beauty. It traces the church’s historical ambivalence about beauty and art, and how in our own day the concept of beauty has been commercialized and degraded. Troeger develops a theologically informed aesthetic that provides a countercultural vision of beauty flowing from the love of God. The book then demonstrates how preachers can reclaim the place of beauty in preaching and worship. Chapter 2 employs the concept of midrash to mine the history of congregational song as a resource for sermons. Chapter 3 introduces methods from musicology for creating sermons on instrumental and choral works and for integrating word and music more effectively. Chapter 4 explores how the close relationship between poetry and prayer can stir the homiletical imagination. Each of these chapters includes a selection of the author’s sermons illustrating how preachers can use these varied art forms to open a congregation to the beauty of God. A final chapter recounts the responses of congregation members to whom the sermons were delivered. It uses the insights gained from those experiences to affirm how the human heart hungers for a vision of wonder and beauty that empowers people to live more faithfully in the world.Less
This book explores an issue at the nerve of the long-term health of all churches: how godly wonder can be reborn through renewed attention to the place of beauty in preaching and worship. The book opens with an exploration of the theological and cultural difficulties of defining beauty. It traces the church’s historical ambivalence about beauty and art, and how in our own day the concept of beauty has been commercialized and degraded. Troeger develops a theologically informed aesthetic that provides a countercultural vision of beauty flowing from the love of God. The book then demonstrates how preachers can reclaim the place of beauty in preaching and worship. Chapter 2 employs the concept of midrash to mine the history of congregational song as a resource for sermons. Chapter 3 introduces methods from musicology for creating sermons on instrumental and choral works and for integrating word and music more effectively. Chapter 4 explores how the close relationship between poetry and prayer can stir the homiletical imagination. Each of these chapters includes a selection of the author’s sermons illustrating how preachers can use these varied art forms to open a congregation to the beauty of God. A final chapter recounts the responses of congregation members to whom the sermons were delivered. It uses the insights gained from those experiences to affirm how the human heart hungers for a vision of wonder and beauty that empowers people to live more faithfully in the world.
Frederick C. Beiser
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199573011
- eISBN:
- 9780191722202
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199573011.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics, History of Philosophy
This book is a re-examination of the rationalist tradition of aesthetics which prevailed in Germany in the late 17th and 18th century. It is partly an historical survey of the central figures and ...
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This book is a re-examination of the rationalist tradition of aesthetics which prevailed in Germany in the late 17th and 18th century. It is partly an historical survey of the central figures and themes of this tradition, but it is also a philosophical defence of some of its leading ideas such as: that beauty plays an integral role in life; that aesthetic pleasure is the perception of perfection; and that aesthetic rules are inevitable and valuable. It shows that the criticisms of Kant and Nietzsche of this tradition are largely unfounded. The rationalist tradition deserves re-examination because it is of great historical significance, marking the beginning of modern aesthetics, art criticism, and art history.Less
This book is a re-examination of the rationalist tradition of aesthetics which prevailed in Germany in the late 17th and 18th century. It is partly an historical survey of the central figures and themes of this tradition, but it is also a philosophical defence of some of its leading ideas such as: that beauty plays an integral role in life; that aesthetic pleasure is the perception of perfection; and that aesthetic rules are inevitable and valuable. It shows that the criticisms of Kant and Nietzsche of this tradition are largely unfounded. The rationalist tradition deserves re-examination because it is of great historical significance, marking the beginning of modern aesthetics, art criticism, and art history.
Craig H. Russell
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195343274
- eISBN:
- 9780199867745
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195343274.003.0009
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western, History, American
This Epilogue sums up the conclusions of the book and puts forward some closiing thoughts. The fundamental lesson that can be learnt from the music of the California padres and their choirs and ...
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This Epilogue sums up the conclusions of the book and puts forward some closiing thoughts. The fundamental lesson that can be learnt from the music of the California padres and their choirs and orchestras, populated by highly trained and impressive Native American artists, is that humble people are capable of astoundingly sophisticated artistry, the final chapter states. There is much we can learn about artistic beauty and the human condition from California mission music.Less
This Epilogue sums up the conclusions of the book and puts forward some closiing thoughts. The fundamental lesson that can be learnt from the music of the California padres and their choirs and orchestras, populated by highly trained and impressive Native American artists, is that humble people are capable of astoundingly sophisticated artistry, the final chapter states. There is much we can learn about artistic beauty and the human condition from California mission music.
Abigail A. Kohn
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195150513
- eISBN:
- 9780199944095
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195150513.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Culture, Sport and Leisure
Frequenting gun shops and shooting ranges, and devoting particular attention to those whose interest in weaponry extends beyond the casual, this book captures in detail how gun owners actually think ...
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Frequenting gun shops and shooting ranges, and devoting particular attention to those whose interest in weaponry extends beyond the casual, this book captures in detail how gun owners actually think and feel about their guns. Through conversations—with cowboy action shooters at a regional match, sport shooters, hunters, with shooters of all ages and races—we hear of the “savage beauty” of a beautifully crafted long gun, of the powerful historical import owners attach to their guns, of the sense of empowerment that comes with shooting skill, and the visceral thrill of discharging a dangerous weapon. Cutting through the clichés that link gun ownership with violent, criminal subcultures and portray shooters as “gun nuts” or potential terrorists, the book provides us with a lively and untainted portrait of American gun enthusiasts.Less
Frequenting gun shops and shooting ranges, and devoting particular attention to those whose interest in weaponry extends beyond the casual, this book captures in detail how gun owners actually think and feel about their guns. Through conversations—with cowboy action shooters at a regional match, sport shooters, hunters, with shooters of all ages and races—we hear of the “savage beauty” of a beautifully crafted long gun, of the powerful historical import owners attach to their guns, of the sense of empowerment that comes with shooting skill, and the visceral thrill of discharging a dangerous weapon. Cutting through the clichés that link gun ownership with violent, criminal subcultures and portray shooters as “gun nuts” or potential terrorists, the book provides us with a lively and untainted portrait of American gun enthusiasts.
Jeffrey Morrison
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198159124
- eISBN:
- 9780191673504
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198159124.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 18th-century Literature
This book examines the pivotal role of Johann Joachim Winckelmann as an arbiter of classical taste. It identifies the key features of Winckelmann's treatment of classical beauty, particularly in his ...
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This book examines the pivotal role of Johann Joachim Winckelmann as an arbiter of classical taste. It identifies the key features of Winckelmann's treatment of classical beauty, particularly in his famous descriptions, and investigates his teaching of the appreciation of beauty. The work identifies and examines the point at which theory and descriptive method are merged in a practical attempt to offer aesthetic education. The publications and correspondence of Winckelmann's pupils are offered as criteria for judging the success of his mission, eventually casting doubt upon his concept of aesthetic education, both in theory and practice. The final chapter of the book is concerned with Goethe's reception of Winckelmann, which shows unusual sensitivity to his work's aesthetic core. It also shows how Goethe's own writing on Italy reveals a process of independent aesthetic education akin to Winckelmann's and distinct from his pupils. The work is founded in close textual analysis but also covers the principles of the aesthetic education, the value of the Grand Tour, and the role of Rome in the European imagination.Less
This book examines the pivotal role of Johann Joachim Winckelmann as an arbiter of classical taste. It identifies the key features of Winckelmann's treatment of classical beauty, particularly in his famous descriptions, and investigates his teaching of the appreciation of beauty. The work identifies and examines the point at which theory and descriptive method are merged in a practical attempt to offer aesthetic education. The publications and correspondence of Winckelmann's pupils are offered as criteria for judging the success of his mission, eventually casting doubt upon his concept of aesthetic education, both in theory and practice. The final chapter of the book is concerned with Goethe's reception of Winckelmann, which shows unusual sensitivity to his work's aesthetic core. It also shows how Goethe's own writing on Italy reveals a process of independent aesthetic education akin to Winckelmann's and distinct from his pupils. The work is founded in close textual analysis but also covers the principles of the aesthetic education, the value of the Grand Tour, and the role of Rome in the European imagination.
Maxine Craig
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195152623
- eISBN:
- 9780199849345
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195152623.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
This book is a study of black women as symbols, and as participants, in the reshaping of the meaning of black racial identity. The meanings and practices of racial identity are continually reshaped ...
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This book is a study of black women as symbols, and as participants, in the reshaping of the meaning of black racial identity. The meanings and practices of racial identity are continually reshaped as a result of the interplay of actions taken at the individual and institutional levels. In chapters that detail the history of pre-Civil Rights Movement black beauty pageants, later efforts to integrate beauty contests, and the transformation in beliefs and practices relating to black beauty in the 1960s, the book develops a model for understanding social processes of racial change. It places changing black hair practices and standards of beauty in historical context and shows the powerful role social movements have had in reshaping the texture of everyday life. The Civil Rights and Black Power Movements led a generation to question hair straightening and to establish a new standard of beauty that was summed up in the words “black is beautiful.” Through oral history interviews with Civil Rights and Black Power Movement activists and ordinary women, the book documents the meaning of these changes in black women's lives.Less
This book is a study of black women as symbols, and as participants, in the reshaping of the meaning of black racial identity. The meanings and practices of racial identity are continually reshaped as a result of the interplay of actions taken at the individual and institutional levels. In chapters that detail the history of pre-Civil Rights Movement black beauty pageants, later efforts to integrate beauty contests, and the transformation in beliefs and practices relating to black beauty in the 1960s, the book develops a model for understanding social processes of racial change. It places changing black hair practices and standards of beauty in historical context and shows the powerful role social movements have had in reshaping the texture of everyday life. The Civil Rights and Black Power Movements led a generation to question hair straightening and to establish a new standard of beauty that was summed up in the words “black is beautiful.” Through oral history interviews with Civil Rights and Black Power Movement activists and ordinary women, the book documents the meaning of these changes in black women's lives.
Malcolm Budd
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199259656
- eISBN:
- 9780191597121
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199259658.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
Consists of four self‐contained essays on the aesthetics of nature, which complement one another by exploring the subject from different points of view. The first is concerned with how the idea of ...
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Consists of four self‐contained essays on the aesthetics of nature, which complement one another by exploring the subject from different points of view. The first is concerned with how the idea of aesthetic appreciation of nature should be understood and proposes that it is best understood as aesthetic appreciation of nature as nature—as what nature actually is. This idea is elaborated by means of accounts of what is meant by nature, what is meant by a response to nature as nature, and what an aesthetic response consists in, and through an examination of the aesthetic relevance of knowledge of nature. The second essay, which is divided into three separate chapters, expounds and critically examines Immanuel Kant's theory of aesthetic judgements about nature. The first of these chapters deals with Kant's account of aesthetic judgements about natural beauty; the second with his claims about the connections between love of natural beauty and morality (which are contrasted with Schiller's claim about love of naive nature); and the third examines his theory of aesthetic judgements about the sublime in nature, rejecting much of Kant's view and proposing an alternative account of the emotion of the sublime. The third essay argues against the assimilation of the aesthetics of nature to that of art, explores the question of what determines the aesthetic properties of a natural item, and attempts to show that the doctrine of positive aesthetics with respect to nature, which maintains that nature unaffected by humanity is such as to make negative aesthetic judgements about the products of the natural world misplaced, is in certain versions false, in others inherently problematic. The fourth essay is a critical survey of much of the most significant recent literature on the aesthetics of nature. Various models of the aesthetic appreciation of nature have been advanced, but none of these is acceptable and, it is argued, no model is needed.Less
Consists of four self‐contained essays on the aesthetics of nature, which complement one another by exploring the subject from different points of view. The first is concerned with how the idea of aesthetic appreciation of nature should be understood and proposes that it is best understood as aesthetic appreciation of nature as nature—as what nature actually is. This idea is elaborated by means of accounts of what is meant by nature, what is meant by a response to nature as nature, and what an aesthetic response consists in, and through an examination of the aesthetic relevance of knowledge of nature. The second essay, which is divided into three separate chapters, expounds and critically examines Immanuel Kant's theory of aesthetic judgements about nature. The first of these chapters deals with Kant's account of aesthetic judgements about natural beauty; the second with his claims about the connections between love of natural beauty and morality (which are contrasted with Schiller's claim about love of naive nature); and the third examines his theory of aesthetic judgements about the sublime in nature, rejecting much of Kant's view and proposing an alternative account of the emotion of the sublime. The third essay argues against the assimilation of the aesthetics of nature to that of art, explores the question of what determines the aesthetic properties of a natural item, and attempts to show that the doctrine of positive aesthetics with respect to nature, which maintains that nature unaffected by humanity is such as to make negative aesthetic judgements about the products of the natural world misplaced, is in certain versions false, in others inherently problematic. The fourth essay is a critical survey of much of the most significant recent literature on the aesthetics of nature. Various models of the aesthetic appreciation of nature have been advanced, but none of these is acceptable and, it is argued, no model is needed.
Robert Desjarlais
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520267398
- eISBN:
- 9780520948204
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520267398.001.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Anthropology, Global
“Chess gets a hold of some people, like a virus or a drug,” states this book. Drawing on a lifelong fascination with the game, the book guides readers into the world of twenty-first-century chess to ...
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“Chess gets a hold of some people, like a virus or a drug,” states this book. Drawing on a lifelong fascination with the game, the book guides readers into the world of twenty-first-century chess to help them understand its unique pleasures and challenges, and to advance a new “anthropology of passion.” Immersing us directly in chess's intricate culture, it interweaves small dramas, closely observed details, insights, anecdotes, and biographical sketches to elucidate the game and to reveal what goes on in the minds of experienced players when they face off over the board. The book offers a compelling take on the intrigues of chess and shows how the themes of play, beauty, competition, addiction, fanciful cognition, and intersubjective engagement shape the lives of those who take up this most captivating of games.Less
“Chess gets a hold of some people, like a virus or a drug,” states this book. Drawing on a lifelong fascination with the game, the book guides readers into the world of twenty-first-century chess to help them understand its unique pleasures and challenges, and to advance a new “anthropology of passion.” Immersing us directly in chess's intricate culture, it interweaves small dramas, closely observed details, insights, anecdotes, and biographical sketches to elucidate the game and to reveal what goes on in the minds of experienced players when they face off over the board. The book offers a compelling take on the intrigues of chess and shows how the themes of play, beauty, competition, addiction, fanciful cognition, and intersubjective engagement shape the lives of those who take up this most captivating of games.
Carol Harrison
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263425
- eISBN:
- 9780191682544
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263425.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, History of Christianity
This book places Saint Augustine's theology in a new context by considering what he has to say about beauty. It demonstrates how a theological understanding of beauty revealed in the created, ...
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This book places Saint Augustine's theology in a new context by considering what he has to say about beauty. It demonstrates how a theological understanding of beauty revealed in the created, temporal realm enabled Augustine to form a positive appreciation of this realm and the saving power of beauty within it. It therefore reintroduces aesthetics alongside philosophy and ethics in Augustine's treatment of God. The book shifts emphasis away from Augustine's early and most theoretical treatises to his mature reflections as a bishop and pastor on how God communicates with fallen man. Using his theory of language as a paradigm, it shows how divine beauty, revealed in creation and history, serves to inspire fallen man's faith, hope, and most especially his love – thereby reforming him and restoring the form or beauty he had lost.Less
This book places Saint Augustine's theology in a new context by considering what he has to say about beauty. It demonstrates how a theological understanding of beauty revealed in the created, temporal realm enabled Augustine to form a positive appreciation of this realm and the saving power of beauty within it. It therefore reintroduces aesthetics alongside philosophy and ethics in Augustine's treatment of God. The book shifts emphasis away from Augustine's early and most theoretical treatises to his mature reflections as a bishop and pastor on how God communicates with fallen man. Using his theory of language as a paradigm, it shows how divine beauty, revealed in creation and history, serves to inspire fallen man's faith, hope, and most especially his love – thereby reforming him and restoring the form or beauty he had lost.
Bonnie Mann
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195187458
- eISBN:
- 9780199786565
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195187458.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy
This chapter focuses on the notion of the sublime, which is discussed in relation to its foil: beauty. It is argued that some of the specific ways that the experience of the sublime is gendered and ...
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This chapter focuses on the notion of the sublime, which is discussed in relation to its foil: beauty. It is argued that some of the specific ways that the experience of the sublime is gendered and racialized are to be found on both sides of the boundary between the modern and the postmodern. The chapter also considers Kantian sublime out of an interest in how the sublime functions as a mode of Euro-masculine self-constitution and how we might understand, in detail, what this means and how it works.Less
This chapter focuses on the notion of the sublime, which is discussed in relation to its foil: beauty. It is argued that some of the specific ways that the experience of the sublime is gendered and racialized are to be found on both sides of the boundary between the modern and the postmodern. The chapter also considers Kantian sublime out of an interest in how the sublime functions as a mode of Euro-masculine self-constitution and how we might understand, in detail, what this means and how it works.
Bonnie Mann
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195187458
- eISBN:
- 9780199786565
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195187458.003.0009
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy
This chapter describes one type of sublime experience that often tears open the sealed worlds that tend to mark our contemporary life, called the “the natural sublime”. Natural sublime shows us that ...
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This chapter describes one type of sublime experience that often tears open the sealed worlds that tend to mark our contemporary life, called the “the natural sublime”. Natural sublime shows us that while the two realms of necessity and freedom are distinct, they are not separate. Either eliding the distinction between them or treating them as quite separate results in the misunderstanding of both realms.Less
This chapter describes one type of sublime experience that often tears open the sealed worlds that tend to mark our contemporary life, called the “the natural sublime”. Natural sublime shows us that while the two realms of necessity and freedom are distinct, they are not separate. Either eliding the distinction between them or treating them as quite separate results in the misunderstanding of both realms.
Gerald SJ O'Collins
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199203130
- eISBN:
- 9780191707742
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203130.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter considers the present mediation of salvation to the Church through the Holy Spirit, the living bridge between the past events of salvation and the present experience of salvation. The ...
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This chapter considers the present mediation of salvation to the Church through the Holy Spirit, the living bridge between the past events of salvation and the present experience of salvation. The Spirit creates fellowship, beauty, and life. The role of the Holy Spirit and that of the risen Christ, while distinct and different, are profoundly connected.Less
This chapter considers the present mediation of salvation to the Church through the Holy Spirit, the living bridge between the past events of salvation and the present experience of salvation. The Spirit creates fellowship, beauty, and life. The role of the Holy Spirit and that of the risen Christ, while distinct and different, are profoundly connected.
Colin McGinn
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198238775
- eISBN:
- 9780191598005
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198238770.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
The main thesis of this book is that literature can enrich the study of ethics, because it provides the resources for the study of ethical problems that contemporary analytical moral philosophy fails ...
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The main thesis of this book is that literature can enrich the study of ethics, because it provides the resources for the study of ethical problems that contemporary analytical moral philosophy fails to address. In Chapters 2 and 3, McGinn offers a discussion of analytical moral philosophy, in which he argues that moral goodness is an objective fact, and furthermore that ethical knowledge is not inferior to scientific knowledge. In Chapter 4, drawing on Hermann Melville's Billy Budd, McGinn proceeds to examine the nature of the evil character. In Chapter 5, McGinn discusses the notion of the Beautiful Soul, and he sets out his ‘aesthetic theory of virtue’, or the theory that aesthetic properties supervene on ethical attributes. Chapters 6 and 7 consist of close readings of two literary works, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, respectively. In his conclusion, McGinn reiterates his view that moral philosophy is too narrow in its focus. It investigates words and propositions, using what McGinn calls the ‘commandment’ paradigm. McGinn advocates that the study of ethics pursues the ‘parable’ paradigm, as afforded by works of fictional narrative.Less
The main thesis of this book is that literature can enrich the study of ethics, because it provides the resources for the study of ethical problems that contemporary analytical moral philosophy fails to address. In Chapters 2 and 3, McGinn offers a discussion of analytical moral philosophy, in which he argues that moral goodness is an objective fact, and furthermore that ethical knowledge is not inferior to scientific knowledge. In Chapter 4, drawing on Hermann Melville's Billy Budd, McGinn proceeds to examine the nature of the evil character. In Chapter 5, McGinn discusses the notion of the Beautiful Soul, and he sets out his ‘aesthetic theory of virtue’, or the theory that aesthetic properties supervene on ethical attributes. Chapters 6 and 7 consist of close readings of two literary works, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, respectively. In his conclusion, McGinn reiterates his view that moral philosophy is too narrow in its focus. It investigates words and propositions, using what McGinn calls the ‘commandment’ paradigm. McGinn advocates that the study of ethics pursues the ‘parable’ paradigm, as afforded by works of fictional narrative.
Berys Gaut
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199263219
- eISBN:
- 9780191718854
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199263219.003.0006
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
This chapter criticizes an argument of Wayne Booth, which defends ethical criticism in terms of the notion of befriending a work's implied author. It then defends the moral beauty view, which holds ...
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This chapter criticizes an argument of Wayne Booth, which defends ethical criticism in terms of the notion of befriending a work's implied author. It then defends the moral beauty view, which holds that ethical merit is a kind of beauty. The views of Hume and Colin McGinn on moral beauty are discussed. It is also argued that beauty is not essentially a sensory property. The moral beauty view is used to argue for ethicism. Autonomist and contextualist arguments against this argument are criticized.Less
This chapter criticizes an argument of Wayne Booth, which defends ethical criticism in terms of the notion of befriending a work's implied author. It then defends the moral beauty view, which holds that ethical merit is a kind of beauty. The views of Hume and Colin McGinn on moral beauty are discussed. It is also argued that beauty is not essentially a sensory property. The moral beauty view is used to argue for ethicism. Autonomist and contextualist arguments against this argument are criticized.
Frank Sibley
John Benson, Betty Redfern, and Jeremy Roxbee Cox (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198238997
- eISBN:
- 9780191598418
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198238991.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
Includes some of the most significant of Sibley’s published papers as well as five new essays previously unpublished. The point of the book is not a systematic introduction to aesthetics, but rather ...
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Includes some of the most significant of Sibley’s published papers as well as five new essays previously unpublished. The point of the book is not a systematic introduction to aesthetics, but rather a theoretical discussion of some core topics. The first three papers study the difference and the relation between aesthetic and non-aesthetic properties. Papers 4–6 show how aesthetic properties depend on non-aesthetic ones. In papers 7–9 is discussed the difficulty in finding criteria of aesthetic merit. The distinction between attributive and predicative use of adjectives and its application to the cases of beautiful and ugly is considered in Chs 12–14. The nature of aesthetic and the relation between concepts of the aesthetic of art are the arguments of papers 10 and 15. Finally, papers 11 and 16 investigate the impossibility of isolating and defining a ‘purely music’ experience and illustrate the ontological status of works of visual art respectively.Less
Includes some of the most significant of Sibley’s published papers as well as five new essays previously unpublished. The point of the book is not a systematic introduction to aesthetics, but rather a theoretical discussion of some core topics. The first three papers study the difference and the relation between aesthetic and non-aesthetic properties. Papers 4–6 show how aesthetic properties depend on non-aesthetic ones. In papers 7–9 is discussed the difficulty in finding criteria of aesthetic merit. The distinction between attributive and predicative use of adjectives and its application to the cases of beautiful and ugly is considered in Chs 12–14. The nature of aesthetic and the relation between concepts of the aesthetic of art are the arguments of papers 10 and 15. Finally, papers 11 and 16 investigate the impossibility of isolating and defining a ‘purely music’ experience and illustrate the ontological status of works of visual art respectively.
Richard Swinburne
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198237983
- eISBN:
- 9780191598548
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198237987.003.0003
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
Part 2 (Chs. 3–6) of this book considers the goals that a good God would have in creating a universe. This chapter considers the goal of making a beautiful universe.
Part 2 (Chs. 3–6) of this book considers the goals that a good God would have in creating a universe. This chapter considers the goal of making a beautiful universe.
CAROL HARRISON
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263425
- eISBN:
- 9780191682544
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263425.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, History of Christianity
This chapter introduces the fall of man, using the metaphor from George Herbert's The Elixir of when one is looking into a mirror. Augustine makes this distinction: St Paul's looking into a mirror is ...
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This chapter introduces the fall of man, using the metaphor from George Herbert's The Elixir of when one is looking into a mirror. Augustine makes this distinction: St Paul's looking into a mirror is an act of discernment, an attempt to make out the shapes and forms in the mirror and grasp what they signify. This looking through cloudiness and obscurity to make out shapes and forms is, for Augustine, a powerful metaphor of human life following the Fall. The vision of Divine Beauty, which man has lost, can also be grasped in the mirror of created reality, albeit obscured by a veil of temporality and corporeity. This is most especially the case with the revelation of divine beauty within that realm, which serves to reform deformed or ugly man by inspiring his faith, hope, and love, not simply to look at it, but in and through it.Less
This chapter introduces the fall of man, using the metaphor from George Herbert's The Elixir of when one is looking into a mirror. Augustine makes this distinction: St Paul's looking into a mirror is an act of discernment, an attempt to make out the shapes and forms in the mirror and grasp what they signify. This looking through cloudiness and obscurity to make out shapes and forms is, for Augustine, a powerful metaphor of human life following the Fall. The vision of Divine Beauty, which man has lost, can also be grasped in the mirror of created reality, albeit obscured by a veil of temporality and corporeity. This is most especially the case with the revelation of divine beauty within that realm, which serves to reform deformed or ugly man by inspiring his faith, hope, and love, not simply to look at it, but in and through it.
CAROL HARRISON
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263425
- eISBN:
- 9780191682544
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263425.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, History of Christianity
On the one hand, the alliance of beauty and matter can be seen in a negative way: matter is subject to the mind; beauty in matter can be taken as an ultimate in itself, and can cause man to sin. On ...
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On the one hand, the alliance of beauty and matter can be seen in a negative way: matter is subject to the mind; beauty in matter can be taken as an ultimate in itself, and can cause man to sin. On the other hand, the fact that matter can incarnate and, so to speak, mediate ultimate beauty, makes their alliance a very positive thing. Both approaches are present in St Augustine's thought, and are held together in a somewhat paradoxical and problematic way. The first, negative approach to matter and beauty predominated in his early theory and is never totally lost in his later thought. The second, more positive approach, though present in the early works, becomes increasingly important as his theology, especially his theology of the Fall, develops. This work has focused on Augustine's theological analysis of the beautiful in the context of his exposition of Christian doctrine.Less
On the one hand, the alliance of beauty and matter can be seen in a negative way: matter is subject to the mind; beauty in matter can be taken as an ultimate in itself, and can cause man to sin. On the other hand, the fact that matter can incarnate and, so to speak, mediate ultimate beauty, makes their alliance a very positive thing. Both approaches are present in St Augustine's thought, and are held together in a somewhat paradoxical and problematic way. The first, negative approach to matter and beauty predominated in his early theory and is never totally lost in his later thought. The second, more positive approach, though present in the early works, becomes increasingly important as his theology, especially his theology of the Fall, develops. This work has focused on Augustine's theological analysis of the beautiful in the context of his exposition of Christian doctrine.
Frank Hendriks
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199572786
- eISBN:
- 9780191722370
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199572786.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, Political Theory
Inspired by the anthropologist Douglas, models of democracy are likened in this chapter to beauty ideals that inspire different ‘cleansing rituals’, polishing up certain forms and rubbing out others. ...
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Inspired by the anthropologist Douglas, models of democracy are likened in this chapter to beauty ideals that inspire different ‘cleansing rituals’, polishing up certain forms and rubbing out others. To understand such cleansing rituals, Douglas teaches, one should first get a grip on the notions of order that inspire such cleansing, for: ‘dirt is matter out of place’. Whether something is defined as unclean, untidy, improper – or not – depends upon what is deemed to be in order, in place, in line – or not. This chapter sketches the notions of order associated with the four basic models of democracy at different levels of aggregation. The chapter shows which social and political cultures, and which patterns of leadership and citizenship, are ideal‐typically in line with the different models of democracy. It is stressed that the resulting framework is an ideal‐typical framework, meant to map rather than mirror reality. Ideal types do not replace but help to grasp real types of democracy, as shown in subsequent chapters.Less
Inspired by the anthropologist Douglas, models of democracy are likened in this chapter to beauty ideals that inspire different ‘cleansing rituals’, polishing up certain forms and rubbing out others. To understand such cleansing rituals, Douglas teaches, one should first get a grip on the notions of order that inspire such cleansing, for: ‘dirt is matter out of place’. Whether something is defined as unclean, untidy, improper – or not – depends upon what is deemed to be in order, in place, in line – or not. This chapter sketches the notions of order associated with the four basic models of democracy at different levels of aggregation. The chapter shows which social and political cultures, and which patterns of leadership and citizenship, are ideal‐typically in line with the different models of democracy. It is stressed that the resulting framework is an ideal‐typical framework, meant to map rather than mirror reality. Ideal types do not replace but help to grasp real types of democracy, as shown in subsequent chapters.
Berys Gaut
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199263219
- eISBN:
- 9780191718854
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199263219.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
This book investigates the relation of art to morality, a topic that has been of central and recurring interest to the philosophy of art since Plato. The book explores the various positions that have ...
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This book investigates the relation of art to morality, a topic that has been of central and recurring interest to the philosophy of art since Plato. The book explores the various positions that have been taken in this debate, and argues for ethicism — a position that holds that an artwork is always aesthetically flawed insofar as it possesses an ethical demerit that is aesthetically relevant. Three main arguments are developed for this view: these involve showing that moral goodness is a kind of beauty (the moral beauty argument); that art can teach us about morality and thereby often has aesthetic value (the cognitive argument); and that our emotional responses to works are merited in part by ethical considerations (the merited response argument). In the course of its argument for the correctness of ethical criticism of art, the book also develops a new theory of the nature of aesthetic value, explores how art can teach us about the world and what we morally ought to do by guiding our imaginings, and argues that we can have genuine emotions towards people and events that we know are merely fictional. The book also examines several artworks in detail, showing how ethical criticism can yield rich and plausible accounts of works such as Rembrandt's Bathsheba and Nabokov's Lolita.Less
This book investigates the relation of art to morality, a topic that has been of central and recurring interest to the philosophy of art since Plato. The book explores the various positions that have been taken in this debate, and argues for ethicism — a position that holds that an artwork is always aesthetically flawed insofar as it possesses an ethical demerit that is aesthetically relevant. Three main arguments are developed for this view: these involve showing that moral goodness is a kind of beauty (the moral beauty argument); that art can teach us about morality and thereby often has aesthetic value (the cognitive argument); and that our emotional responses to works are merited in part by ethical considerations (the merited response argument). In the course of its argument for the correctness of ethical criticism of art, the book also develops a new theory of the nature of aesthetic value, explores how art can teach us about the world and what we morally ought to do by guiding our imaginings, and argues that we can have genuine emotions towards people and events that we know are merely fictional. The book also examines several artworks in detail, showing how ethical criticism can yield rich and plausible accounts of works such as Rembrandt's Bathsheba and Nabokov's Lolita.
