Polymath a Man of Many Talents - Research Paper Example

 Polymath – a Man of Many Talents Polymath refers to a person who is a man of many talents; Aristotle was a polymath without a shadow of a doubt. He was a great philosopher; he was also a theologian, in addition to this he was also a literary critic. “Poetics” written by Aristotle define several important literary elements and it also serves as a benchmark for all the other literary critics during the time of Aristotle. His definition of a tragedy was widely accepted by writers and they tried to match his description, Aristotle wrote in his poetics that the tragic hero must feel excessive pain and he must undergo excessive suffering, he also wrote that not everyone can be a tragic hero. A person of great stature can be a tragic hero not anyone else and these guidelines were followed by almost all the great writers, this goes to show a lot about Aristotle and his achievements. William Shakespeare also incorporated Aristotle’s guidelines in his tragedies. Hamlet is a classic example of the same, Hamlet suffers all along in the tragedy, he was the tragic hero because he was a person with great stature, the Prince of Denmark. Aristotle also wrote about tragic flaws and how the same affected the tragic hero. This paper will shed more light upon the life and the philosophy of one and only Aristotle. “Aristotle (384–322 B.C.E.) numbers among the greatest philosophers of all time. Judged solely in terms of his philosophical influence, only Plato is his peer: Aristotle's works shaped centuries of philosophy from Late Antiquity through the Renaissance, and even today continue to be studied with keen, non-antiquarian interest. A prodigious researcher and writer, Aristotle left a great body of work, perhaps numbering as many as two-hundred treatises, from which approximately thirty-one survive.” (Aristotle) Aristotle’s Philosophy Procrastination can be sustained by rational decisions and this can even be applied on an addict in order to cure him of his addiction. Intransitive preferences, comprehensively throws light upon our delays which may seem to be irrational and it also expansively presents our preference for rewards which we may get immediately; it also presents our regrets later for having made our choice. A report that is due on Thursday is only worked upon on Tuesday or Wednesday but not Monday and this goes to show the theory of intransitive preference, this procrastination and the belief in working upon the report tomorrow is what this theory is all about. This paper will expansively present the concept of aesthetics, the story of David and the choice that he made will also be analyzed in this paper. A complete round up of how people choose and rate a piece of art will be provided in this paper. Imagination takes centre stage when it comes to deciding a piece of art or any beautiful thing for that matter. Understanding is seldom used when we decide about a beautiful piece of art and this also gives rise to cognition. A judgment of taste has nothing to do with our understanding or logic, it is all about aesthetic sense and whatever appeals to our aesthetic sense is appreciated and chosen by us. When it is accepted that a masterpiece is beautiful, it is contemplated upon and people unanimously conclude that it is beautiful, how it is judged in our contemplation is what matters the most. For instance, if someone is asked to comment about a very huge and a beautiful palace, he might not even be interested in such huge palaces and would conclude by saying that the hard-earned money of the people must never be squandered in building such superfluous buildings. It is suggested that we have to be indifferent when it comes to judging matters of taste only then can we do justice to it. Aristotle’s Thoughts on Aesthetic Judgment Concepts like agreeable and non agreeable are very important when it comes to judging a work of art or for that matter any other work that involves the use of aesthetic sense. What the senses like in sensation within no times becomes agreeable and something which isn’t liked becomes non agreeable. Sensation is a very bemusing term and it befuddles the people more often than not, whatever is touched and derived pleasure from makes up the senses. Whatever is liked quickly becomes agreeable but this again varies and depends on different degrees. In order to conclude that a product or a work of art is good, a keen understanding of the same is pivotal and having a concept of it is also important. Concluding that something is good is closely related with the interests of the person who concludes so. Consequences and reason are two very important concepts, when it comes to aesthetics. For instance even if a dish appeals to our senses, we condone it thinking about the consequences the spices added in the dish may have on us. It is agreeable and there is very little doubt about it but our logic suggests that the dish may have a telling impact on our body. An agreeable thing can be dangerous especially when we apply our logic in perceiving that particular thing. Our taste is unique and one of a kind, we may like the color Violet and we may even start associating gentleness and calmness with that color. On the contrary, another person may feel that the color is completely lifeless and dead, it would be highly illogical to engage in a dispute with that person because we have our own choices and no one can decide what should appeal to our senses. Taste of every individual is unique and what one person may like is very likely to be disregarded by another person, hence everyone’s taste is truly unique and this is why we have different aesthetic perceptions. Liking becomes judgment when people proclaim that they love something or they truly admire something. For instance, a garment may be admired and adored by a woman, she might proclaim to her friends saying that it is the best in the market, this statement will no longer remain an agreeable statement or liking, and it would become a judgment. A person, who successfully manages to entertain his guests at a party by presenting agreeable things, would surely have good taste. In judgment of taste, a person’s liking is merely presented as subjective. When everyone likes an object only then can it become a judgment of taste, the liking must not be based solely on one concept. When it comes to judgment of taste about beauty, all must hold the same view. Agreeable aspects can be private but not when it comes to judgment of taste especially applied in the field of beauty. Pleasure and agreeable are closely connected concepts, an agreeable thing is ought to have some pleasure in it or the other only then can it be actually agreeable. Necessarily and judgment of taste are another two very important terms. A subjective principle is a must to determine by feelings, it doesn’t make use of any concept and it is applied when making a judgment of taste. It does not require us to apply any concept only then can a fair judgment be made. Presupposition of common sense is very important in making judgment of taste; no judgment of taste is actually logically should presupposition remain absent from the judgment. When a judgment of taste is made, it is made using no concepts, it is purely on the basis of what appeals to our senses and we usually feel that no one else must differ in their opinion. This feeling is regarded common when such a statement is made rather than regarding it private. Judgment of taste is a very debatable aspect of philosophy and there is no benchmark which can be followed when we make this judgment. It is very controversial and unclear, much has been talked about this concept and many theories in this concept have been formulated. The choice made by David was purely based on his aesthetic sense and he shouldn’t be blamed for it. It had nothing to do with logic; he chose what appeared the most to his senses. Hence it is illogical to blame him for the decision that he made. Other Similar Philosophers and their Contribution Idiosyncrasy is the aspect which takes over when it comes to judging a piece of Art according to Hume. He believed that the typicality in human beings made them judgmental on pieces of Art. Homer who left his legacy in Athens and Rome is still being remembered in elite places like London and Paris; significant changes like language, region, and religion haven’t had any impact on his glory. This goes to show that certain works of Art are universally appreciated and agreed by the people while some others are objectively considered better when it comes to comparing two works of Arts. The agreeable sentiments infused in these works of arts provoke men to appreciate them and to instantly show their approval towards these masterpieces. The approval may be tacit at times but it is not tacit more often than not. Anna Karenina, War and Peace have gone down as greatest work of fiction, these masterpieces were written by none other than Leo Tolstoy. His self developed photography of art stands out even to date and he is still remembered for more reasons than one. Tolstoy believed that art was a necessity even in destitution; this belief made him one of the most famous novelists the world has ever seen. Art is an experience according to Leo Tolstoy; he believed that the artist sharing his experience used appropriate setting and colors to give something to the audience which will be worth remembering. Understanding the meaning and significance is extremely important when it comes to defining any human activity. Examining an activity becomes inevitable in order to define an activity. Tolstoy believed that those who rejected all works of art were absolutely wrong and this was something which could not have been rejected. All works were forbidden in olden days because they threw light upon corruption and evil practices, but these days all art pieces are patronized and this is actually creating a real ruckus in the society. Aristotle’s Interpretation of Disturbed in Doha David’s marriage is on the rocks for no reason; his choice is based on judgment of taste as discussed in the paper earlier. He thought even his would be would also love the painting that he picked, underlining the concept of universality in judgment of art. He thought what pleases his eye will also please all the other people. His judgment was not made because of a concept; it was made purely because he liked the painting that he thought was the best. It appealed to his senses the most and this was why he thought it was the very best. Much has been talked about Aesthetics and logic but in this case logic has not been used. David has come under intense pressure for no reason, universality and judgment of beauty go hand in hand, and this has been expansively presented in this paper. David’s choice can be defended by using the theories of Hume, Tolstoy and Kant. All of them explained different concepts related to aesthetics and judgment of beauty. “There are many histories of philosophy, but none of them, so far as I know, has quite the purpose that I have set myself. Philosophers are both effects and causes.” (Russell, Bertrand. P.3) As advised by the great philosophers, a person’s opinion may differ when it comes to judging a work of art. A particular piece of art might be liked by someone and at the same time another person may not like it, this goes to show aesthetic judgment and it has nothing to do with logic. Logic is never involved in liking, when a certain piece of art is liked by people, it is only because of its appeal and not because it is logically appealing to the eyes of the people. It is very fair to say that applying logic is a very different ball game than applying aesthetic judgment; the same has been stated by the likes of Hume and Tolstoy. Conclusion To conclude it is very fair to say that Aristotle was a great human being, he was a genius who invented several concepts which are still being taught to children and adults in various schools across the globe. He was without a doubt a polymath who inspired several people and will continue to do so even after several years. He has managed to leave his mark because of his inventive genius nature. References Aristotle (2011). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Web. Retrieved from: Russell, Bertrand. History of Western Philosophy. Routledge Classics 2004. London. Print. Read More