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your interpretation...

G

gearwhine

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Denver, CO
I am writing a paper right now on various understandings on beauty of many different philosophers..I'm an engineer for god's sake. However, I came across this quote by David Hume and absolutely love it. I won't say what I think of it...just passing it on to you guys to think what you want.

“Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them, and each mind perceives a different beauty. One person may even perceive deformity, where another is sensible of beauty; and every individual ought to acquiesce in his own sentiment, without pretending to regulate those of others.” David Hume. "Of the Standard of Taste"

_nicko_
 
I think David Hume must have gotten beat up for telling some guy his woman was ugly! Or maybe the other way around... :D
 
A Course In Miracles tells us that "Nothing I see is real." Reality exists in the mind of the perceiver.

Case in point: Ask any automotive hobbyist who owns a vehicle made up of an aftermarket frame, fiberglass reproduction tub, Painless Wiring harness, small-block Chevy V-8 engine with TH400 tranny and Chevy Blazer axles what kind of vehicle he has and he'll say it's a "Jeep." Go figure.
 
Eagle said:
A Course In Miracles tells us that "Nothing I see is real." Reality exists in the mind of the perceiver.
Click to expand...
I looked at A Course In Miracles and it wasn't real. :D

Tom
 
Tom R. said:
I looked at A Course In Miracles and it wasn't real. :D

Tom
Click to expand...

HAHA, I love that.

I can't take this philosophy stuff. I'm doing my last paper of the year, and this is my last semester of Philosophical reading/writing...I would kill myself if I had to go through more of it. I get to thermodynamics next. YAY! :rolleyes:

The reason I posted this was, because I was thinking about the bashing of people that...say...lower an XJ, or do something that others don't like. They like it, let them be. "every individual ought to acquiesce in his own sentiment, without pretending to regulate those of others" :D HAHA, ok, I'm gonna finish this paper, and be done with it forever. _nicko_
 
Well, one of the world's great architects (I think it was Louis Sullivan, but not sure of that) once said "Form follows function." To an engineering mind, that which is "beautiful" might be that which accomplishes the intended function in the most efficient manner. Look at bridges as a real-world example. There probably aren't more than a handful of truly UGLY bridges in the world, and some of them are awe-inspiring. The ancient Romans had bridge building down to an art form.

Another group of examples would be the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe.
 
Hey Eagle, then why does my dad(the engineer) think my XJ is so gawd damn ugly??
 
Louis sullivan....I'm pretty sure he was the one that made the world's first skyscraper...that triangular one in NYC...dwarved now by what we now think as skyscrapers. Or he designed central park or something, whatever.

But, "form follows function", well obviously, everything of the material world that has a function has a form. It doesn't imply it's a beautiful form.

What is "truly UGLY" by the way? I may think it's purdy. from an engineer's point of view as you stated....your "UGLY" may work better than your aesthetically pleasing (you hear that phrase 100x too many in college) bridge, and as you said before...to an engineer, that will make it beautiful. Tisk tisk tisk....I see two opposite views in one topic Eagle. _nicko_
 
No, the problem is that too often other constraints interfere with carrying out the best engineering solution. I could use the KJ as an example of engineering solutions being held captive by marketing considerations ... but I won't even go there. However, I'm sure you can look around you and see any number of THINGS which could/would have been engineered more elegantly if someone -- marketing types, bean counters, or whoever -- hadn't stuck their finger in the pie.

Without wishing to be disrespectful of dromedaries, remember the saying "A camel is a horse that was designed by a committee."
 
Wow! I need a beer to digest this!
 
Eagle said:
A Course In Miracles tells us that "Nothing I see is real." Reality exists in the mind of the perceiver.
Click to expand...

Reality is for those who lack imagination...
 
Eagle said:
Another group of examples would be the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe.
Click to expand...

Another yet could be clouds..

"I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down and still somehow
It's clouds' illusions I recall;
I really don't know clouds at all."
- Joni Mitchell
 
xj-fx said:
Another yet could be clouds..

"I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down and still somehow
It's clouds' illusions I recall;
I really don't know clouds at all."
- Joni Mitchell
Click to expand...

I was all ready to slam ya on this one, but figured I better do some research. The version of this song I most often hear is by Judy Collins released in 1968. Even though Joni Mitchell wrote it, she didn't release it until 1969. I don't think I have ever heard that version. Apparently the song has been covered more than 300 times, several of them before Joni Mitchell released her own version.

Learn something new every day! :)
 
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