The Rationality of Feeling

233 Pages·2014·8.175 MB·English

by  David Best

THE RATIONALITY
OF FEELING
3
1
0
2
r
e
b Learning From the Arts
m
e
t
p
e
S
3 David Best
2
2
2
:
3
0
t
a

]
y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
m
i
l
s
u
M
h
r
a
g
i
l
A
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w ROUTLEDGE LIBRARY EDITIONS:
o
D
EDUCATION
ROUTLEDGE LIBRARY EDITIONS:
EDUCATION
THE RATIONALITY OF FEELING
3
1
0
2
r
e
b
m
e
t
p
e
S
3
2
2
2
:
3
0
t
a
]
y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
m
i
l
s
u
M
h
r
a
g
i
l
A
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
3
1
0
2
r
e
b
m
e
t
p
e
S
3
2
2
2
:
3
0
t
a

]
y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
m
i
l
s
u
M
h
r
a
g
i
l
A
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
THE RATIONALITY OF FEELING
3
1
0 Learning From the Arts
2
r
e
b
m
e
t
p
e
S
3
2
2
2
:
3
0
t DAVID BEST
a
]
y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
m
i
l
s
u
M
Volume 135
h
r
a
g
i
l
A
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
ROUTLEDGE RTayoloru &t. Flerandcigs Gero up
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published in 1992
This edition first published in 2012
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
3 by Routledge
1
0 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
2
r Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
e
b © 1992 David Best
m
e All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
pt utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
e known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
S
3 information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
2 publishers.
2
2 Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
:
3 trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent
0
t to infringe.
a
] British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
y A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
t
i
s
r
e ISBN 13: 978-0-415-61517-4 (Set)
v
i eISBN 13: 978-0-203-81617-2 (Set)
n ISBN 13: 978-0-415-69784-2 (Volume 135)
U
eISBN 13: 978-0-203-13824-3 (Volume 135)
m
li Publisher’s Note
s
u The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but
M
points out that some imperfections in the original copies may be apparent.
h
ar Disclaimer
g The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and would
i
Al welcome correspondence from those they have been unable to trace.
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
The Rationality of Feeling:
3
1
0
2 Learning from the Arts
r
e
b
m
e
t
p
e
S
3
2
2
2
3: David Best
0
t
a
]
y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
m
i
l
s
u
M
h
r
a
g
i
l
A
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
The Falmer Press
(A member of the Taylor & Francis Group)
London • Washington, DC
UK The Falmer Press, 4 John St, London WC1N 2ET
USA The Falmer Press, Taylor & Francis Inc., 1900 Frost Road, Suite 101,
Bristol, PA 19007
3
1
0 © David Best 1992
2
r
e
b
m
e All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
t
p a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
e
S mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing
3 from the Publisher.
2
2
2
:
3
0 First published in 1992
t
a
]
y
t
i
s
r A catalogue record for this book is available from the British
e
v Library
i
n
U
ISBN 0 75070 056 4
m
ISBN 0 75070 057 2 (pbk)
i
l
s
u
M
h Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data are
r
ga available on request
i
l
A
[
y
b Typeset in 9.5/11pt Bembo by
d
e Graphicraft Typesetters Ltd., Hong Kong.
d
a
o
l
n
w
o Printed in Great Britain by Burgess Science Press, Basingstoke on paper
D which has a specified pH value on final paper manufacture of not less than 7.5
and is therefore 'acid free'.
Contents
3
1
0
2
r
e
b
m
e
t
p
e
S
3
2
2 Acknowledgments x
2
3: Introduction xii
0
t Chapter 1 The Rationality of Feeling 1
a
]
y Chapter 2 Natural Response and Action 16
t
i
s
r Chapter 3 Reasoning 28
e
v
ni Chapter 4 Questions 48
U
m Chapter 5 Differences 62
i
sl Chapter 6 Free Expression 74
u
M Chapter 7 Creativity 86
h
r Chapter 8 Feeling 101
a
g
li Chapter 9 Artist and Audience 128
A
y [ Chapter 10 Two Attitudes 144
b
d Chapter 11 The Particularity of Feeling 154
e
d Chapter 12 The Aesthetic and the Artistic 165
a
o
l Chapter 13 Art and Life 181
n
w
o References 204
D
Index 208
v
To
Jennifer Ann
and
Philip
3
1
0
2
r
e
b
m
e
t
p
e
S
3
2
2
2
:
3
0
t
a
]
y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
m
i
l
s
u
M
h
r
a
g
i
l
A
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
Further Thoughts
A central characteristic of learning in the arts is bringing home to us
what situations amount to. The emotions involved render the learning
more personally meaningful. But it is commonly assumed that
emotions cannot be rational, and therefore the arts cannot be
legitimately educational. This traditional assumption is fundamentally
3 misconceived..
1
0
2
er My thesis would be strengthened to deal with some recent
b
m developments. I emphasise that my concern is with emotional not
e
t sensation, feelings. Some people conflate them, or believe that
p
e
S emotional feelings just are sensations, or neurological functions. For
3 example, Howard Gardner locates thinking and emotions in the
2
2 nervous system. This fashionable belief in mind/brain/identity,
2
:
3 sometimes dubbed "neuromania", has many ramifications. It is part of
0
t scientism, the assumption that all intelligible questions are the
a
] province of empirical sciences. The undoubted success of neurological
y
t
si research has led some theorists to apply these methods in
r
e
v misconceived directions, which is like trying to measure in kilograms
i
n the weight of heavy sarcasm or light entertainment.
U
m
i
l There may be a correlation between emotion and brain process, but
s
u
M correlation is not identity. Brain processes may be involved in, for
h example, sad feelings, but it is highly implausible to suppose that they
r
a
g could capture the range and subtlety of particular sad feelings, such as
i
Al my grief at Beryl's death. To identify that feeling requires
[
y recognition of a range of aspects of her life, such as her constant
b
d worry about her fine hair, her sensitive use of extensive linguistic
e
d vocabulary, her incisive understanding of literature, and her brilliantly
a
o expressive piano playing. The idea that this could be captured in a
l
n
w brain process makes no sense, and it belittles, dehumanises. It is
o
D bizarre to believe that the pulpy mass of grey stuff in our heads is
where we reside.
More generally, the mind/brain equation fails to take account of
agency; intentional action requires an agent to initiate it. But this is
emphatically not to embrace the conception of a mind as an
incorporeal, metaphysical entity. That is equally untenable. What is