LS Re: Esthetics


Diana McPartlin (diana@asiantravel.com)
Thu, 22 Jan 1998 17:54:10 +0100


Dear squad

I'm glad to see the aesthetic aspect of Dynamic and static quality
hasn't raised too many objections. But looking over the principle I'd
like to change "Dynamic Quality is more pleasing than static quality" to
"Dynamic Quality is more compelling than static quality."

The purpose of saying something like this was to explain the aesthetic
nature of Dynamic Quality, which I think is essential to its
understanding. I rather not use the word "aesthetic" because I tend to
associate it with established concepts of beauty. By which I mean the
beauty in fine art and classical music. The "pleasingness" of DQ,
however, relates as much to the beauty of a well run office or a good
comedy routine, or anything at all that is just well executed.

I've gone off "pleasing" because it sounds too lame. Static quality can
also be pleasing at times in a comforting, familiar sort of way.
"Compelling", is much better because it shows that DQ comands attention.
It also shows that DQ isn't always exactly pleasing in a normal sense of
the word. DQ is what makes us look when we see a car crash, for
example. On the one hand it seems to be vulgar to enjoy watching
someone else's tragedy but we can't help wanting to look. It's the
Dynamic Quality that compels our attention.

Another thing that I want to deal with is Magnus' comments about whether
or not Dynamic Quality is more moral than static. This is repeated
several times throughout Lila and for the purposes of the principles I'd
like to stick as closely to the book as possible so we really have to
keep that in. As for what exactly it means, the only way I can come to
terms with it is to revise our concept of what is "good".

The "Good" in the Metaphysics of Quality isn't as sort of lovely,
pretty, happy kind of good that we normally associate with that word.
It's not a serene, light filled, new agey type of good either. The MoQ
good is beautiful alright, but it's terrible and awesome at the same
time. This quote might not be exactly right but in the Zohar it says
something like: "God is not an uncle. He is an earthquake."

Diana

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