Modern Notes

(I took these during the lecture on moderns.)

1500-1800

Ancients:

• Studied how things change as they work toward becoming their perfect form. 
• All dramas (really everything) have a perfect form, and they were trying to get at it.  
• Pursuing the ideal is love. Love is in the world.

 Modern:

• No love in the world, just physical laws.  Physics also helped them understand nothing perfect in heavens, they operate under same physical laws as the earth does--so no ideal forms.
• Saw a divide between what exists in the world and what we bring to the world.

Kant-  Non-aesthetic values or primary qualities are standards of goodness and usefulness we would will to be accepted by everyone...children and mentally challenged might not have common understanding, but others can. Achievement to understand and agree with common standards. Aesthetic values or secondary qualities are standards and judgements we enjoy coming up with--the free play of the imagination.  We create beauty, meaning, depth, etc.

• None of these qualities are found within things themselves, but most people agree that they have them.  People put values into things.  
• Standards should be universal. 

 FIND A POINT OR TWO AND DIVE INTO THEM