Re: aesthetic evaluation (was: RE: (OT) Music

Tim May:
> JS Bangs writes:
>  > And Rosta sikyal:
>  >
>  > > > Where did the word "justifiable" come from?  If we elect principles,
>  > > > what justification need there be for them?
>  > >
>  > > It's their justifiability that makes moral and aesthetic principles
>  > > and judgements more than a mere matter of taste. If we elect
>  > > unjustifiable principles, then judgements based on those principles
>  > > inherit that unjustifiability.
>  >
>  > If I may jump in late with a "Me, too," I wholly agree with what And is
>  > saying, both here and in his original post. Although we may never agree on
>  > a set of aesthetic principles, just as we may not agree on moral
>  > principles, it's still better to attempt to formulate and justify
>  > aesthetics and morals, instead of simply acquiescing to "anything goes."
>  > IMHO.
>  >
>  >
> How does one justify moral or aesthetic principles other than with
> respect to a set of moral or aesthetic principles?
'Justify' is probably not the clearest word. Let us say that 'justifiable'
principles are those that in the abstract (independently of their
application to particular cases) will tend to command general assent,
e.g. "More (of something good) is better than less", "Pleasure is
better than pain", and so on, but not "Blue is better than red".

--And.