έκτακτα [Exceptional]

Maslow describes a peak experience as a form of integration and as something exceptional. Csíkszentmihályi describes flow as full involvement. What we call art could be described as an attempt or effort to replicate this sense of integration or full involvement which appears to be triggered perceptually by the exceptional but is entirely internal.

ὡραῖος [Beauty]

Beauty originally meant ready, finished, complete, ripe. This would be an appropriate description of a woman. What would be an appropriate description for all of the other things we term beautiful? Exceptional or extraordinary seem good words. There is a very fine distinction between the two words. Extraordinary can best be defined as not ordinary. Exceptional can be best defined as a degree of magnitude that would fall some distance from one side or the other of two tipping point that would mark a typical instance or state. This leaves room for addressing ugly as well as beautiful. Finally, instances or states can be rank ordered and quantified which is normally done anyway .There is probably a psychological study that has tested this premise. If not, it would not be difficult to construct a valid study. Who is uglier?

εὐδαιμονία [Happiness]

"Beauty is the promise of happiness."...Stendhal
What exactly does this mean?Defining Beauty is
difficult. Defining happiness is just as difficult.
Aristotle defines happiness as an activity. Seeking
pleasure. This leads to ethics which requires a
definition of truth. Confusion over truth leads
to five different theories of truth. Kierkegaard
and Wittgenstein are both of the opinion that
truth is subjective and subliminal. Kierkegaard
was probably the greatest philosopher of the
nineteenth century and Wittgenstein was probably
the greatest philosopher of the twentieth century.
Truth exists but is external to us and can not
adequately be described by language because
it is experienced subjectively and subliminally.
Awe is probably the only available word.

Beauty

It should be clear by now that the word beauty has multiple meanings which are sometimes very far apart. Describing a woman as beautiful would depend upon the culture. Although, this fine distinction between cultures is beginning to disappear. Describing music, poetry, prose, painting,sculpture, a place, a thought or idea, a language, a religious experience, a sunrise or sunset as beautiful becomes interesting when you look for a commonality. The other interesting question about beauty that must be asked is are all of these things beautiful or representations of beauty. Finally, are there cultural differences?

Furuike Ya

furuike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto

old pond
frog jumps
sound of water

As is often the case, with good haiku
there is a state change rather than a depiction
of a state which would be western.

The poem is in romaji because it is intended to be spoken.
The translation is mine after having read a multitude of other
translations. Old pond could be improved but I am uncertain how?

If anyone wants the Kanji then please let me know.

Momentary Beauty!

Art

Art is an attempt to replicate or communicate an exceptional experience. Craft is often art but is always useful.

Truth

Appears to be subjective and indescribable.

It is a constant that has very little to do with beauty which appears to be inconstant and momentary.

It is often confused with the experiential.

Language is inadequate for a discussion of truth.

This misguided quest for truth has been a major influence on Western Society.

It is interesting to imagine the west and intellectual thinking without this misguided quest for truth.

The Craft of Musical Composition

This is a work by Hindemith. There is a fine distinction between art and craft. Classical Greek sculpture was at the time it was created considered craft. Much of Bach's work,considered art today, was crafted to fill a particular need. During the nineteen twenties and thirties, decorative art reached a level that tended to blur any distinction between art and craft. Telemann blurred the distinction between art and craft with his Tafelmusik. Mozart and Handel wrote many wonderful pieces for special occasions.Stained glass is the perfect example of the problem involved in distinguishing between an art and a craft. Hindemith and Weill both considered utility as the distinction between art and craft. This did not stop either of them from writing beautiful useful music.Much art originally had a religious utility. Some of Bach's religious cantatas are exquisite works of art.

Mihály Csíkszentmihályi and Abraham Maslow

Csíkszentmihályi, Mihaly (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.New York: Harper and Row.
Csíkszentmihályi, Mihaly (1996). Creativity : Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention.New York: Harper Perennial.
Csíkszentmihályi, Mihaly (1998). Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement With Everyday Life. Basic Books.
Maslow, A. (1970). Religion, values and peak experiences. New York: Viking.
Maslow, A. (1970). Religious Aspects of Peak-Experiences. Personality and Religion. Harper & Row: New York.

Socrates and Poetry

For Socrates, poetry was intuitive and not rational. Truth was rational. The only poet he would tolerate in the Republic was Homer. This becomes most interesting after looking at the Wittgenstein and Kierkegaard statements.

Ode on a Grecian Urn

'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.'...Keats

This verse is most interesting when viewed after looking at the Wittgenstein and Kierkegaard quotations.

Truth

"All essential knowledge relates to existence, or only such knowledge as has an essential relationship to existence is essential knowledge."...Kierkegaard

"Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent."...Wittgenstein

ϕ=1.61803399

Phi is a ratio. This is the classical proportionality.
cf. Phidias

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
List_of_works_designed_with_golden_ratio

Luca Pacioli's Divina Proportione

Incomplete List of Violist and Viola Website

http://www.viola.com/
John Graham
Patricia McCarty
Robert Vernon
Roberto Díaz
William Primrose(d)
Lawrence Dutton
Julia Adams
Noboku Imai
Pinchas Zukerman
Ludwig van Beethoven(d)
Johann Sebastian Bach(d)
Yuri Bashmet
Antonín Dvořák(d)
Paul Hindemith(d)
Jaime Laredo
Lionel Tertis (d)
Scott St. John

Directors Who Make Beautiful Movies

Zang Yimou
Ang Lee
Kurosawa
Miyazaka
Quentin Tarantino
Steven Spielberg
George Lucas
John Huston
Peter Jackson
Francis Ford Coppola

Beautiful Food

Kyoto
Provence
Tuscany

On Friday nights in Maine the local churches have Bean Suppers.
The price has gone from five dollars to seven. Homemade Pies are
often available by the slice or by the pie. Sometimes the pies
are auctioned.

A full Irish Breakfast with Irish Tea [Stash Kopili Estate].