Avoiding Evil

Art, Literature and Philosophy tend to work hand in hand. While this communion was clearer in centuries before the advent of television, film, and radio, we still see this marriage today. Contemporary mass media is presented as an objective information source, but it finds it’s true desire is to serve up a new art and an audio/video literature. Art’s purpose and perspective has changed over the course of time with the ebb and flow of truth’s source. Initially, art’s desire was to present reality (Realism) both in history and present day. This reality was fixed in the understanding that we could know truth both historically and presently. The renaissance shook the foundations of truth and questioned all that can be questioned. Descartes, one of the central figures in the renaissance, considered his primary goal in life to question everything that could be questioned. People began to question what is really true and how we could attain knowledge. During this renaissance period the source of truth shifted from the church and God to science and reason. Once this source was tapped dry and seen as unable to hold unfallibly true, the Romantics searched for truth in intuition. They quickly learned that without a God or at least a basic metaphysical understanding, we have nothing on which to trust our intuition. Quickly truth became less of something to be sought, and more of something to be created. Art had previously desired to present some form of truth, but now sought to present perception. The realism of the renaissance died out and the mysticism of the Romantics was ushered into art. As mystic/romantic ideas dwindled, impressionism became the art form. Impressionism sought to present the artist’s impression of reality. The artist was not bound by what is real or true, but only what he/she perceived to be real or true. Again, the foundation of truth was shook by Kant’s and Hegel’s questioning of even perception. They asked if we could even have a right perception of reality. Sliding once again down the slippery slope of finding an anthropocentric truth, symbolism arose. Symbolism “combined the Romantic preoccupation with emotion with an emphasis on sensory perception” (Grasping For The Wind, Whitehead). Symbolism was focused on experience and perception. Drugs, alcohol and sex became useful tools to understanding. Why? Because reality was not found outside one’s self, but inside one’s self. We find similar tendencies of Impressionism to be true today. TV, radio, and film (today’s art and literature) is not focused as much upon truth in reality, but truth inside. We focus more one what we see to be true. We have seen a much quicker changing of the tides in our twentieth century. The 50’s focus on the good and the true had a sense of realism. The 60’s and 70’s ushered in a mystic/romantic grasp for truth. 80’s and 90’s more bland desire to find truth in one’s self (if it’s true for you…). We find humor and truth in that which we experience. My question is this: will we/have we seen a change toward symbolism where we forsake even trying to describe reality, but simply live for the experience of today? Do you think American culture will cease trying to seek truth, morality, and realism and simply “feel”? I have to say, it seems to be the trend of postmodernism to do such a thing. Such advertising slogans in media as “feed your crave”, and “it just feels good” have been pervasive. But I am interested in what you think. Please post any comments…

COMMENTS

Very very very good post, Pressed. You are getting me excited over here! I was just at the art museum the other day discussing this very issue with someone. Descartes came up and the issue of feeling vs. truth was addressed. Wow seems like this is something God wants to get across here lately….
Posted by: erin on February 28, 2003 04:27 PM

Good post Jim I mean…not Pressed! Whoops!
Posted by: erin on February 28, 2003 04:38 PM

Thank you very much for your kind words, Erin. However, I was hoping for a discussion. Please, elaborate on what you think about the issue.
Posted by: Jim Shultz on February 28, 2003 06:23 PM

We talked about this in SaLT group (small group bible study)one night…truth and reality. It was interesting to question whether what we see as reality, is in fact truth. Reality is perceived…for instance when police take down the “eye witness account” of a car accident. Different people saw things from a different perspective, seeing details, but not necessarily details that agree. In truth a car accident occurred because we see evidence of it, but the how it occurred can only be concluded through different perceptions of reality, which may or may not be truth.

One of the leaders asked us all to describe what Ann wore to church this morning. Ann couldn’t even remember for a minute!

Will America ever stop seeking Truth? No. That desire to know Truth was created within us for the purpose God intended it, that we would seek Truth, seek Him. This isn’t just an American question, it is a humanity question.

I see art/philosophy/literature as natural outgrowths of this search and exploration of truth and the reality around us. We do live in a fast paced society for sure, and it seems people are told to do what “feels good” or “feels right”. Since I believe we as humans will not stop seeking truth, eventually we will realize that living life based on “feelings” does not lead us to truth. It only serves to give us another perception of reality. America gets bored easy, so we will move on to the next perception of reality as soon as it feels right! “and that’s the twuth!” (*raspberry* Lily Tomlin style for the old fogeys like me!)
Posted by: Susan L. Prince on February 28, 2003 06:49 PM

I made a comment in a blog the other day about the Bible being Truth from cover to cover. He posted something about looking at it from the posmodernism view. This postmodern stuff get to deep to quick for me. I have a hard time understanding the postmodern view.
Posted by: Michael on February 28, 2003 09:21 PM

I just wanted to see these guys in action.
jim
Posted by: Jim Shultz on February 28, 2003 11:55 PM

I think we have already seen a change towards simply living for the experience of today. It seems we have slipped into a culture tainted with relativism and nothing is right or wrong at all. I think our society is in “please me” mode where everything is done and accepted to please the human, whom the whole world centers around. People want others to accept what they do as right and they will bend, twist, and deny reality in order for their actions to be right. Something in reality can be harmful, murderous, or simply not natural and yet people will forsake these realities in order to make themselves feel good (even at the expense of others), and they become viciously opposed to any who say they are wrong.

I think in some ways American culture has already decided to cease trying to seek truth and realism. That is why everything is becoming right for the individual. Instead of seeking the truth about something and saying this is right and true over something else; we simply say everything is right. If one individual believes this then he is right, if another believes the opposite then he is right. The leading idea is, “whatever makes you happy.”
Posted by: Pressed on March 1, 2003 11:02 AM

I feel like a moron. I put the incorrect “unfallibly” instead of the correct “infallibly”. Forgive me. I was re-reading it and realized it. I’m a dork, as usual.
Posted by: Jim Shultz on March 1, 2003 02:19 PM

I feel like a moron. I put the incorrect “unfallibly” instead of the correct “infallibly”. Forgive me. I was re-reading it and realized it. I’m a dork, as usual.
Posted by: Jim Shultz on March 1, 2003 02:20 PM

The icing on the cake is that I posted the same message twice. I am truly king of idiot…
Posted by: Jim Shultz on March 1, 2003 02:21 PM

Excellent post Jim. I enjoy the parallels that you draw to historical art movements.

In response, to Susan’s comments, I completly agree with the statement about perceptions of reality of which may or may not be the truth. Well said. To elaborate on your comment about people seeking the Truth, I believe that people fall into one of three camps: 1.) those who have sought the Truth and have found it, 2.) those who are still seeking the Truth and are filling a void with “feelings” that don’t last, and 3.) those who have found the Truth, but have chosen to reject it to pursue their own selfish desires.

Unfortunatly, the fleeting feelings and the issues that drive the latter two are the very things that will eventually consume them.
Posted by: Le Renard Subtil on March 1, 2003 10:36 PM

Great post, well written. In my opinion, I think people do seek truth, but the question becomes what is truth. By truth, do they understand it as absolute, or by truth, do they simply mean, something that happens to be true. I believe we are wired to seek truth but have escaped it by turning truth into subjectivity. So you ask a person, any person, are they seeking truth, and I think they’re response would be an unabashed yes. We just need to scale the language barrier and see if they are seeking absolutes.
Posted by: Mike on March 4, 2003 12:04 PM