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Originally Posted by Chuck64 The ability to create art, music, or great literary and philosophical works adds cultural value to society. A new invention can save lives and a great piece of computer software can make life just a little more bearable. That's why "intelligence" is more important to the human race. It makes our existence better. |
what you say there reminds me of the difference between jeramy bethams definition of utilitarianism contrasted with john stewart mills. Benthams was much more of a 'hedonistic' idea of utility, that society should seek to maximise the more if you like base pleasures i guess hehe wine, women and song, wheras mill seemed to value more 'intellectual' pleasures as being worthy of pursuit. I often wondered what an intellectual pleasure was when i first came accross it, i mean is it like once one deciphers a particularly difficult passage of hegel do they get a kinda pervy smile happening and think to oneself, mmmmmmmm just had an intellectual pleasure there lol.
anyhow getting more relavent with what you say above, id say that it all comes down to what is worthy of pursuit, ie beauty seems to apply more to that benthian description of utility whereas ur definition of value seems to accord with mills. So from a benthian perspective, you would be wrong, beuty is where it is at, but from a mill perspective youve got it sussed. I swing around both depending on my mood :)
