Both Alyosha and Enjolras have brought up topics that I find fascination, love to ponder, and could discuss for hours, and they know it. However, I also am going to wait to broach the almost limitless topic of music.
I have been indoctrinated at various points in my education, and some of you know by whom, to believe that every conflict, every relationship, every moment in History can be explained in terms of economics. While I do not completely buy this, Enjolras's lament over the lack of creativity in today's society instantly made me think of Marx's theory of the worker and the effects of the industrialization and modern economics on the theory of the person.
Now don't worry, this is not going to turn into a complex discussion about economic theory. Marx, however, believed that people did not work to live but rather lived to work--humans by definition were workers, cogs in the economic machine. This idea has been so integrated into modern thought that many politicians and economists, in America at least, would be horrified if they realized they had bought a piece of Marxist philosophy so whole heartily.
This is one of the primary things that has removed the idea of creation from everyday life. A single person is rarely responsible for a product from start to finish anymore. Instead, they are another point on the assembly line, mass producing identical products that are devoid of all craft. Work, the act of creating something and of providing for yourself and your family has a salvific value. The shift from people as craftsmen to people as workers has done its best to remove the human dignity and the value of the product.
In particular, this is can seen in the arts, where it is almost impossible now to earn a living do art for arts sake. There is no obvious economic value in painting pictures, writing poetry, or composing music so these have been subordinated to other ends. Now if you want to study art it is usually in terms of a career such as graphic design or interior decorating.
Creating something for no commercial purpose does, like Enjolras said, bring a certain amount of satisfaction. More than that however, by creating something is a way for man to imitate his creator-it is a form of prayer and something that so desperately needs to be reclaimed in modern society. So bake an pie, knit a sweater, paint a picture and when ever possible support those who are craftsmen rather than huge corporate chains.
31 October 2008
30 October 2008
the answer is blowin' in the wind
Sorry Aloysha, I am not going to talk about music, not yet anyways.
Yesterday the weather was very angry, or at least frustrated. The wind seemed like it was trying to blow the world away and at the time this seemed like an excellent idea. I felt trapped in the details of life. I had to go to work, then spend hours doing homework when all I really wanted to do was go for a walk, in the wind and dancing leaves, and then curl up in bed with the The Graveyard Book. But I did not think my Professors would agree that this was an acceptable alternative.
I felt like the windstorm, angry at the world, trying to it blow away, destroy it. The wind has a freedom that is too often lost in everyday life. And I'm free, like the wind, like I'm gonna live forever. It's a feeling time can never take away. It's so easy to get sucked into a routine and have your life consumed by details. This goes back to the idea of contemplation that Aloysha and Robert Owen Hood have been talking about. It's not always that we don't appreciate the beauty around us or know that it's there, although sadly this is often true, but that we don't have time for it right now.
One of the problems with the modernity of our lives is how much it removes us from our world. It is easy to live out a day without any interaction with nature. Our technology, our cities, our advanced methods of transportation all make our lives more convenient, but in the process make it easier for us to take for granted things like trees, grass, the smell of a forest or the sound of water trickling down rocks. We have to designate time now if we want to experience this, have to go out of our way, and too often our busy lives make this difficult. And so we do it less, forget it, and replace it with television.
But there is another component to this, one I think was more related to my frustration the other day. I wanted to destroy because I felt I could not create. There is not any time in my life right now to devote to creating anything. Cooking, gardening, knitting, all simple acts, but each has a product. I am spending so much time studying and advancing my mind that sometimes I feel like I am not utilizing it. This raises the question is there a practical aspect to contemplation? I do not think there has to be, but I think man requires this, needs to feel he is contributing to the earth in a somewhat tangible way. There is a satisfaction in being able to look at something and know that you made it. Ultimately this is realized in art. Man attempting to perfect his creations, achieve a better painting, a more beautiful song, each reflecting his world, himself, his humanity.
29 October 2008
Will there be music or will there be war?
I am sorry for the length of time between this and my last post, but I too suffer from a lack of leisure time. In our current culture the absence of work is looked down upon. It seems to be the thought that if one is not working then one is not being productive. This is completely false. As Robin Hood has stated "leisure is more than a state of not working, it is an attitude of the mind and a condition of the soul which allows people to look on the world in wonder and wonder in turn leads to contemplation." If our world is to change people must think. They must contemplate on their existence, on the world around them, and on ideas and ideals. This is part of the very essence of being alive, of taking each day as it comes.
This brings to mind, at least it brought to my mind, music. The very word has a passion and fire, yet also a sense of peace and understanding. It is alive, and ever changing. A force so powerful that it can change history, create wars and revolutions. Music most perfectly realizes the endless yearning of the soul. It is so powerful that it can never be explained. To one never having heard of it, it would be impossible for one to convey the passion, the life, the moods of music. Music is one of the highest forms of art, giving inspiration to anyone who has the ears to hear. If one does not have time for leisure, if one does not think, not contemplate, then they will never hear, they will never even be able to hope to understand.
As I have said previously my lack of leisure time has effected my posting. Again it causes me to barely even start to explore a topic that even the most powerful and insightful minds have great difficulty in properly conveying the meaning of, for that is the power of music. Therefore I say we use this as an introduction that has simply opened the floor to music.
This brings to mind, at least it brought to my mind, music. The very word has a passion and fire, yet also a sense of peace and understanding. It is alive, and ever changing. A force so powerful that it can change history, create wars and revolutions. Music most perfectly realizes the endless yearning of the soul. It is so powerful that it can never be explained. To one never having heard of it, it would be impossible for one to convey the passion, the life, the moods of music. Music is one of the highest forms of art, giving inspiration to anyone who has the ears to hear. If one does not have time for leisure, if one does not think, not contemplate, then they will never hear, they will never even be able to hope to understand.
As I have said previously my lack of leisure time has effected my posting. Again it causes me to barely even start to explore a topic that even the most powerful and insightful minds have great difficulty in properly conveying the meaning of, for that is the power of music. Therefore I say we use this as an introduction that has simply opened the floor to music.
28 October 2008
Stand and Stare
I am sorry to beat the topic of Halloween over the head, but it is difficult to ignore at the moment and I have just a few things to wrap up. First, Aloysha accepted my challenge and carved an amazing pumpkin last Sunday, thereby celebrating (in a small way) the holiday. Secondly, I think that my qualms about the current attitude towards and celebration of Halloween is indicative of a deeper problem--lack of leisure.
That may seem like a very strange assertion, but without real leisure there is no contemplation. Thus, people spend no time trying to figure out the meaning behind the holidays they celebrate, or to wonder why they perform their daily traditions let alone admire and celebrate the world. For leisure is more than a state of not working, it is an attitude of the mind and a condition of the soul which allows people to look on the world in wonder and wonder in turn leads to contemplation.
Current society does not really allow for leisure. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics tells me Americans work, on average, more than 50 hours a week. This leaves little down time. The time they are not at work Americans have filled with consumer substitutes for leisure--either they scheduled that time with activities so they are still on the go, or spend it shopping, watching tv, or the like. When time not at work is spent in such pursuits is it surprising that holidays have become so commercial? According to Josef Pieper, the pursuit of these mindless distractions not only prevents people from confronting the awesome reality of existence. It undermines and even corrodes civilization and culture.
As a parting thought I will leave you with a favorite poem of mine on the topic.
What is this life if full of care
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep, or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this, if full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
--William Henry Davies
That may seem like a very strange assertion, but without real leisure there is no contemplation. Thus, people spend no time trying to figure out the meaning behind the holidays they celebrate, or to wonder why they perform their daily traditions let alone admire and celebrate the world. For leisure is more than a state of not working, it is an attitude of the mind and a condition of the soul which allows people to look on the world in wonder and wonder in turn leads to contemplation.
Current society does not really allow for leisure. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics tells me Americans work, on average, more than 50 hours a week. This leaves little down time. The time they are not at work Americans have filled with consumer substitutes for leisure--either they scheduled that time with activities so they are still on the go, or spend it shopping, watching tv, or the like. When time not at work is spent in such pursuits is it surprising that holidays have become so commercial? According to Josef Pieper, the pursuit of these mindless distractions not only prevents people from confronting the awesome reality of existence. It undermines and even corrodes civilization and culture.
As a parting thought I will leave you with a favorite poem of mine on the topic.
What is this life if full of care
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep, or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this, if full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
--William Henry Davies
27 October 2008
Beauty in the madness
"You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star."
-Friedrich Nietzsche
-Friedrich Nietzsche
23 October 2008
Better to light a candle
... One day a tortoise will learn how to fly
Everyday life is saturated by traditions that most people perform without thought. Removing one's hat upon entering a building, placing flowers on a grave or candles on a birthday cake, even putting the fork on the left when setting a table--these are customs that people observe on a daily basis, usually without giving their actions any thought. Just, however, because people do not think about the rituals they perform or the traditions to which they subscribe does not mean that those traditions should be abolished. Each of these has a meaning and purpose which they do not loose just because people no longer think about them. In his book "The Thing--Why I am Catholic" Chesterton tells a parable of a gate approached by two reformers, the first of whom looks at it and says "I don't see the use of this; let us clear it away." The second, whom Chesterton calls the more intelligent reformer, replies "If you don't see the use of it, I certainly won't let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it."
The same can be said about the traditions surrounding Halloween. Carving jack-o-lanterns, distributing candy, dressing in costume, there was a meaning behind the establishment of each of these and they should not be abolished until that meaning is remembered and understood. Because a knowledge of the origin of these things is not reflected in peoples current practise of them is not a reason to stop, nor, as Aloysha claims, does it turn them into nothing. Whether giving out candy on Halloween originated from grave offerings for the dead, from the tradition of providing strangers with hospitality or from something else entirely, the original meaning is honored whether people do so intentionally or not. And, perhaps more importantly in this day and age, there is something to be said about people performing rituals and practicing tradition whether they realise what they are doing or not. For, whether you bow or courtesy to the queen, genuflect before a tabernacle, watch fireworks on the 4th of July, or merely hold a door for a stranger, the point of rituals is to pay respect to something outside oneself and to put oneself in perspective of system larger than themselves--something modernity, with its emphasis on individuality and conflation of liberty and a complete lack of rules, tends to forget.
So the beauty of the day is in the traditions. The mystery of the Danse Macabre is that it was not a one time thing but rather happened regularly allowing everyone to participate. So, if Aloysha wants to attempt to be alive this Halloween he will attempt to carry out the traditions, but with the proper reflection about what those traditions mean and proper reverence to those they honor.
Everyday life is saturated by traditions that most people perform without thought. Removing one's hat upon entering a building, placing flowers on a grave or candles on a birthday cake, even putting the fork on the left when setting a table--these are customs that people observe on a daily basis, usually without giving their actions any thought. Just, however, because people do not think about the rituals they perform or the traditions to which they subscribe does not mean that those traditions should be abolished. Each of these has a meaning and purpose which they do not loose just because people no longer think about them. In his book "The Thing--Why I am Catholic" Chesterton tells a parable of a gate approached by two reformers, the first of whom looks at it and says "I don't see the use of this; let us clear it away." The second, whom Chesterton calls the more intelligent reformer, replies "If you don't see the use of it, I certainly won't let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it."
The same can be said about the traditions surrounding Halloween. Carving jack-o-lanterns, distributing candy, dressing in costume, there was a meaning behind the establishment of each of these and they should not be abolished until that meaning is remembered and understood. Because a knowledge of the origin of these things is not reflected in peoples current practise of them is not a reason to stop, nor, as Aloysha claims, does it turn them into nothing. Whether giving out candy on Halloween originated from grave offerings for the dead, from the tradition of providing strangers with hospitality or from something else entirely, the original meaning is honored whether people do so intentionally or not. And, perhaps more importantly in this day and age, there is something to be said about people performing rituals and practicing tradition whether they realise what they are doing or not. For, whether you bow or courtesy to the queen, genuflect before a tabernacle, watch fireworks on the 4th of July, or merely hold a door for a stranger, the point of rituals is to pay respect to something outside oneself and to put oneself in perspective of system larger than themselves--something modernity, with its emphasis on individuality and conflation of liberty and a complete lack of rules, tends to forget.
So the beauty of the day is in the traditions. The mystery of the Danse Macabre is that it was not a one time thing but rather happened regularly allowing everyone to participate. So, if Aloysha wants to attempt to be alive this Halloween he will attempt to carry out the traditions, but with the proper reflection about what those traditions mean and proper reverence to those they honor.
21 October 2008
You wanna fly...
then lets fly.
Robert Owen Hood has previously stated that Halloween has become a day celebrating consumerism and promiscuity. In this remark we agree completely. Whatever it once was, Halloween has become a day of costumes and candy for children, a day which many people in the United States would say is their favorite holiday. However, underneath this corrupted mindset, under this superficial day, there is something more. As Robin Hood has said, it was a day meant for remembering the dead, who, by all means, should be remembered. Now I know not how peopled viewed death at the birth of this day, but I know that now death is viewed completely wrong. And that wrongness is exemplified in Halloween.
Death is dark, it is a mystery, it does have fear, but it is not evil, it is not "spooky," with ghouls and zombies and the such-- it is a beauty. And in this culture of Halloween that beauty is gone. The day celebrating death should be like the Danse Macabre. It should have that feeling, that aura of mystery and not only darkness but also light. As was said, there are two sides to every coin. The dead should be remembered. We should care, as Enjolras said, about what they died for. They're death meant something, it still means something. And we should honor them. In death the greatest victory, the greatest mystery of all occurred-- Christ died. Death, therefore, should have a day in remembrance of its beauty, and it should forever be remembered as one of the greatest gifts from God to man.
That is why I have a vendetta for Halloween. It has taken one of the most extraordinary things and turned it into nothing. it has taken the evil in this world and made it friendly and childish. I am against the superficial aspects of this day, but that does not mean, as Robin Hood as pointed out, that one must not live. We must throw out the fakeness, so that the beauty may be seen. We must dance the Macabre. It is a two sided coin, yet I make my own luck. Therefore, concerning a challenge I was recently issued, I accept. I will strive not to let the culture ruin the day, and will attempt to be alive. I will remember, and hope to understand.
Robert Owen Hood has previously stated that Halloween has become a day celebrating consumerism and promiscuity. In this remark we agree completely. Whatever it once was, Halloween has become a day of costumes and candy for children, a day which many people in the United States would say is their favorite holiday. However, underneath this corrupted mindset, under this superficial day, there is something more. As Robin Hood has said, it was a day meant for remembering the dead, who, by all means, should be remembered. Now I know not how peopled viewed death at the birth of this day, but I know that now death is viewed completely wrong. And that wrongness is exemplified in Halloween.
Death is dark, it is a mystery, it does have fear, but it is not evil, it is not "spooky," with ghouls and zombies and the such-- it is a beauty. And in this culture of Halloween that beauty is gone. The day celebrating death should be like the Danse Macabre. It should have that feeling, that aura of mystery and not only darkness but also light. As was said, there are two sides to every coin. The dead should be remembered. We should care, as Enjolras said, about what they died for. They're death meant something, it still means something. And we should honor them. In death the greatest victory, the greatest mystery of all occurred-- Christ died. Death, therefore, should have a day in remembrance of its beauty, and it should forever be remembered as one of the greatest gifts from God to man.
That is why I have a vendetta for Halloween. It has taken one of the most extraordinary things and turned it into nothing. it has taken the evil in this world and made it friendly and childish. I am against the superficial aspects of this day, but that does not mean, as Robin Hood as pointed out, that one must not live. We must throw out the fakeness, so that the beauty may be seen. We must dance the Macabre. It is a two sided coin, yet I make my own luck. Therefore, concerning a challenge I was recently issued, I accept. I will strive not to let the culture ruin the day, and will attempt to be alive. I will remember, and hope to understand.
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