Philosophy Bites on the Definition of Art

I am going through the archives of Philosophy Bites (one of my favourite podcasts) and was quite impressed with the interesting discussion with Derek Matravers on the definition of art. The institutional theory of art is a recent attempt to answer the question “what makes something a work of art?” The answer given by proponents of this theory is that it is whatever the social institution of the artworld deems to be a work of art (and then there is an attempt to define what the art world is and how it decides whether something counts). Matravers argues for an extension of the institutional theory of art (a favourite aesthetic theory of mine) to include a consideration of the reasons for an artefact being put forward as an artwork. This would then expose these reasons to a criticism that is both warranted and important.

The Watchmen

I’ve been a fan of The Watchmen graphic novel since I first read it in the mid 1990s, it was a defining piece of popular culture – one that turned comics on their collective heads. When I heard it was to be made into a movie, I wasn’t too sure what to think – I would love to see Alan Moore’s work of art transformed into moving images; but could such a complex piece be successfully transformed onto the screen? After watching it last night I think that the movie was a successful adaptation – and a reasonably successful film in its own right. Some of the complexity of the graphic novel is lost – how could it not be? But the main themes are still there, and some of the scenes and dialogue are straight out of the comic. The action scenes are amplified somewhat – so that they resemble more normal superhero movies – but this doesn’t seriously undermine the message: You have be a strange, neurotic individual to dress up in a funny costume to fight crime, and anyway is that really going to solve the world’s problems?

The Mask of Command by John Keegan

The Mask of Command can be seen as a follow up to Keegan’s The Face of Battle, which described the experience of soldiers in battle throughout history and how it had changed. The Mask of Command is about the experience and techniques of generalship and how they have changed over time from the “heroic” (lead from the front) conception of Alexander the Great to the unheroic (lead and/or manage from the rear) concept of the modern era. He illustrates his position with the examples of Alexander the Great, the Duke of Wellington, Ulysses Grant and Adolf Hitler. However in addition there is a normative element to this book: Keegan discusses how command should have changed (and has not) given the realities of the era of nuclear warfare and modern total war. In particular he singles out Hitler as utilising an ancient heroic conception of command that was unsuited to these realities and claims that to a certain extent this explains his ultimate lack of military success. This is a fascinating analysis of generalship: thought provoking and intriguing. Ultimately I think that it is undermined by a less plausible reading of Hitler (which more recent scholarship might cast doubt on) than of the other generals, but its final section on what generalship should look like in the nuclear era is very interesting. A must read for those interested in understanding generalship in general rather than just finding out about particular battles.

The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos

George Pelecanos is one of America’s foremost crime writers. He is also one of the writing team who worked on David Simon’s The Wire TV series. It shows. His novels are beautifully natural, unaffected, slices of life. Full of the detailed concerns of the everyday and yet struck through with grander themes, all carried in the vehicle of a crime novel, his stories verge on masterpieces. Certainly it is hard to think of another American crime writer who writes with this panache. He is in many ways a modern Hammett or Chandler – he seems to have that sort of stature. This latest story is about the murder of a black teenager and the two men who become entangled in trying to find the killer – one a cop, the other an ex-cop – against a backdrop of their every day lives. Nothing is ordinary in this case or its resolution.

Being Pakeha Now by Michael King

This book feels like a significant waypost on the journey of a country to understanding their identity. Reading it feels like a re-tracing of that journey for an individual. Michael King is trying to understand (through autobiography) what it is to be a Pakeha New Zealander: a non-Maori New Zealander – but to define this in a sense that is not merely negative, not defined by a lack, but in a positive sense. On the way the book raises uncomfortable questions about race relations in New Zealand, about our past Pakeha-Maori relations. King argues that Pakeha are distinctively New Zealanders (rather than Europeans or immigrants), that they are indigenous in some sense by their belonging and relationship to the land and country, while not denying that Maori – tangata whenua – have a privileged position as “first comers”. He also argues that there is a shared set of values that all New Zealanders, both Pakeha and Maori, have. A  realisation that came to him (as it does to many of us) as he returned from travelling overseas, best summed up in this passage (pp 178-9):

All this contributed to a conviction that New Zealanders, for all their faults, had virtues that were precious: an unwillingness to be intimidated by the new, the formidable, or class systems; trust in situations where there would otherwise be none; compassion for the underdog; a sense of responsibility for people in difficulty; not undertaking to do something without seeing it through…a lesser degree of racial prejudice (though not an absence) than that apparent in many other parts of the world…I also became more conscious of the value of my Maori associations – of what New Zealand would lose…if it were left solely with its Anglo-Saxon-Celtic heritage.

If you are interested in the history of New Zealand thought and identity, or are just trying to make sense of what being a Pakeha in the 21st century is all about, then this is a must read.

The Third Reich in Power by Richard J. Evans

If you have ever pondered that great mystery of the twentieth century – how did a supposedly modern civilised western country like Germany let itself be led into the barbarities of World War Two – then this book (and indeed the trilogy of which it is the second part) is for you. Evans examines every aspect of German society and culture and shows how it was “co-ordinated” by the Nazi party as part of their thorough-going totalitarianism – their attempt to control everything about a person’s life. He covers youth groups, universities, schooling, art, music, literature, work…there was nothing too trivial for the Nazis to control, they even took over sports clubs, making them parts of the party’s apparatus serving the racial and political agenda! This mammoth book can be hard going – it is hardly pleasant subject matter after all – but it is well worth it. Masterful in its treatment, immense in breadth and depth as well as being persuasive and humane. It sets a new standard for scholarship in its field.

The Late Levitt on Steve Fuller’s Defence of Intelligent Design

From badscience - Steve Fuller lent a fig-leaf of academic credibility to Intelligent Design in the Dover trial in the USA. Norman Levitt died recently which Steve Fuller used as the occasion to write a rather nasty ad hominem attack on Levitt. Here is the explanation for Fuller feeling the need to write such a worthless screed: Levitt’s scathing review of Steve Fuller’s book defending Intelligent Design.  I don’t feel comfortable with some of the ad hominem’s and downright abuse of Fuller that LEvitt indulges in, but most of the review is bang on the money, especially the stuff about computational complexity and randomness. Worth a read if you are interested in Intelligent Design and its flaws.

The Reason of Things by A.C. Grayling

This volume of essays follows on from Grayling’s earlier book: The Meaning of Things – a favourite of mine.  The essays in The Reason of Things are all about applying philosophical reasoning to everyday concerns – sex, religion, politics, identity – the things that are important to us as we live our lives. It is fascinating seeing Grayling tease apart what is important about these topics, what is central and what is inessential, bringing the clarity of philosophical discourse to them and helping the reader understand what the implications are for living our lives. Recommended if you are interested in living your life consistently or in a principled fashion.

Paul Weller: Wild Wood

Intrigued by this review at Elsewhere, my like of a couple of Jam records and it leaping out at me at the local record store, I picked up a copy of the recently released Deluxe Edition of Paul Weller’s Wild Wood. A somewhat speculative purchase then, but I don’t regret it. The first thing that i should say is that it bears very little resemblance to the Jam. It does show the stamp of its influences (Neil Young, Soul, Nick Drake) without being imitative. A hard thing to achieve, a thing that many britpop bands imitated, and consequently didn’t achieve. More contemplative and personal than his work with the Jam, it i less catchy, but in some ways more satisfying. Recommended for those who like their rock tinged with maturity.

Key tracks:

• Sunflower
• Can You Heal Us (Holy Man)
• The Weaver
• Moon On Your Pyjamas

Reading for/as pleasure

I have been reading a number of weighty tomes about great political crimes – communism, fascism, nazism – topics I find both fascinating and compelling, but not necessarily enjoyable. I can find immense satisfaction in reading good books on these topics, but they aren’t exactly light-hearted. In the middle of reading one of the best books in this area – The Third Reich in Power - I just had enough. I decided that I needed to read something more enjoyable even if of less moral weight. Something less worthy but more fun. So I have parked the weighty (figuratively and literally in the case of the aforementioned 700 page book) and taken up the more flighty. It is important I think to understand that reading is first and foremost a pleasure – otherwise it becomes a chore; work – that even reading about such serious matters can in some respects be pleasurable (the pleasure of discovery, of learning, of moral improvement, of comprehending) – but that when it ceases to be pleasurable one should stop, change and take up something else. I fully intend to return to The Third Reich in Power, but I will wait until I have recovered my sense of pleasure in that sort of reading first. In the meantime I think I will concentrate in reading about art, which is important but perhaps more fun.