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ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF WHAT WE REJECT
When we reject religion
and the belief in gods or demons,
in the singular
or plural,
some people may refer to
the beauty of a certain temple or religious work of art,
and ask how we cannot
be deeply moved by it;
they may refer to
the beauty of a certain theist anthem or piece of music
and ask how
we cannot be deeply moved by it;
they may refer to
the beauty of certain religious or theodemonist literature
and
ask how we cannot be deeply moved by it.
They will not mention the ugly temples and sculptures,
the dreadful ideological
paintings and music,
or the paralyzation of the arts
in a totally religionistic society.
They will only mention their
denominational doctrine
as a source of artistic inspiration.
When we reject the sort of political ideology
which
goes to extremes
or which rests on partial sentiments,
some people may refer to
the beauty of a certain official
monument or work of art,
and ask how we cannot be deeply moved by it;
they may refer to
the beauty of a certain
political anthem or piece of music
and ask how we cannot be deeply moved by it;
they may refer to
the beauty
of certain committed political literature
and ask how we cannot be deeply moved by it.
They will not mention the
unsightly official buildings,
the dreadful ideological songs and stories,
or the paralyzation of the arts
in a politically
totalitarian society.
They will only mention their political doctrine
as a source of artistic inspiration.
However,
when
we reject religion and theodemonism, and
when we reject extremist, exclusivist politics,
we condemn the systematic violation
of truth,
and the belief in what ought not to be taken to be true;
we condemn the systematic violation of relevance,
and
the belief in what ought not to be taken to be relevant;
we condemn the systematic violation of moderateness,
and the
belief in what ought not to be taken to be moderate.
We do not defile marvelous songs or euphonious music,
even when
made or hailed by adherents of supernaturalism;
we do not defile good prose and great poetry,
even when written or read
by adherents of exclusivism;
we do not defile impressive buildings or fine works of art,
even when designed or desired
by adherents of extremism.
We only repudiate the ideologies and practises
expressed by them,
and may only dismiss
the very specific ideas and symbols
inherent in them.
It is not the artist as artist to be criticized,
nor 'er
artistic achievements to be scornful about,
even tho of a different denominational or political creed.
It is the fact
that 'e works or worked for the wrong cause
which we cannot think well of and be pleased with.
What we really hold is
that the artist,
as every other person,
should not make use of extremist symbols,
should not add or omit things for
exclusivist reasons,
should not propagate supernaturalist ideas.
It is these considerations which have been disregarded
by
artists who do or did not know better, or
who chiefly produce or produced for the sake of money.
Yet, it is these considerations
alone which,
when taken seriously, can make an artistic achievement
both beautiful and acceptable.
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