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Objectivity in Music
Garcin:
--- Quote from: zekterellium ---was kant the guy, that if you thought you were doing the right thing, even if you were feeding sailors to werewolves, then it was the right thing?
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Err. . . .no I think that's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Kant's categorical imperative requires your action to be an end unto itself; and requires the rule you apply to your own action to be the rule that society should apply generally. But listening to long-winded, obscure, indie music is as much a statement about the right of exercising one's freedom do engage in difficult, self-indulgement music, which is consistent with a larger social good, and is an end unto itself.
Really, the philosopher you want to look to is Bentham, who said that hedonism is an expression of rational self-interest, and allowed utilitarian calculus to justify personal choices. So music that would make you more productive, energized, and virile (e.g. The Black Keys).
--Moiche
sp2:
I had a long-winded Randian rant describing the virtue of solo projects as defended by Objectivism. It basically took a 3 page essay and repeated t for 100 pages using kindergarden-level language. Then I took that, and rewrote it in a 600 page book. Not satisfied, I rewrote that again into a 1000+ page piece of ego-masturbation and called it Malkmus Shrugged.
Then I felt dirty and deleted it.
Garcin:
Agreed. Best. Thread. Ever.
--- Quote from: sp2 ---Thus, if you follow utilitarianism, Vanilla Ice did great things for music, because the entire alt-rock and indie rock movements were both at least in part a response to shitty 80s rock.
--- Quote ---
Utilitarianism requires the "moral" action to engender the greatest total happieness. Vanilla Ice in no way shape or form brought about the greatest total happiness. In fact, Vanilla Ice is as close to a utilitarian wrong as you can get.
If you want a philosopher who would justify Vanilla Ice as a cultural phenomenon, look to the Count Marquis de Sade, who said that the pursuit of pain is governed by its own ethics, and is just as desirable as the pursuit of pleasure.
--Moiche
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sp2:
Ooh. Touche.
Juliette was one of my favorite books for a while. I even have a knife I named after the title character.
A big fucking knife.
Garcin:
--- Quote from: sp2 ---Then I felt dirty and deleted it.
--- End quote ---
You did the right thing.
Sublime music from a Randian perspective would reject conformity, while championing the egoism and genius of the artist. Bjork. She would have loved Bjork.
--Moiche
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