Book Title: Three Essays On Aesthetics
Author(s): Archie J Bahm
Publisher: Archie J Bahm

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Page 29
________________ 456 ARCHIE J. BAHM ternal factors involved in the nature of a reduced in any way to similarity, a poem poem are completely unlike each other in is also something of a whole, such that nature; each is important in its own way, both internal and external factors conbut neither contributes to the other in tribute to it, or are aspects of it, as a any way. 8. Extreme aspectism: The dis- whole, without being reduced to functiontinction between internal and external ing as mere aspects of such a whole. Such factors in a poem is completely artificial similarity and difference should be equally and only serves to prevent understanding recognized, even though, in dynamic exand appreciation, for every aspect involved perience, one or the other tends to domiin a poem is an aspect involved in the nate more at different times. In sum, each nature of a poem regardless of whether it of the previous twelve theories has a conmay seem internal or external. 9. Modified tribution to make, even though each of dualism: The internal and external fac- the extreme theories is less adequate, taken tors involved in the nature of a poem by itself, than the corresponding modified are more different than alike; each is more theories. Organicism, as a joint assertion important when taken by itself than when of their positive claims, and as a joint taken in relation to the other. 10. Modified denial of their negative claims (i.e., in aspectism: The internal and external as- denying what any of the other of the pects involved in the nature of a poem are twelve theories asserts), regards itself as more alike than different; each is more a much more adequate theory for how a important when understood in relation to poem should be interpreted than any of the other than when understood in terms the other twelve.26 of itself alone. 11. Extreme equalism: The The foregoing twelve-fold formula will similarities and differences between inter- seem a sterile pattern to those who fail nal and external factors are exactly equal to understand it as a way of summarizing 12. Modified equalism: The similarities a multidimensional set of battles, all going and differences between internal and ex- on continuously. Although Organicism ternal factors are never exactly equal. aims at being anti-negative, i.e., in deny 13. Organicism (organiplicationism): A ing the denials of all such theories, it poem is best appreciated when its inter- cannot help being, and intends to be, a nal and external aspects are understood negation of such negations. That is, for interdependently. To be interdependent, example, it asserts that extreme explicatwo or more things must be both partly tionism is false because extreme explicaindependent of and partly dependent tionism denies what is true in not only upon each other. To the extent that a extreme implicationism, but also in all of poem is something in itself, it is better the other eleven isms. That is, Organicism understood in terms of its inner aspects, conceives itself as always fighting twelve and it is possible to concentrate upon the enemies at once, and its diagram of types inner aspects to the exclusion of outer of theories is a kind of intellectual aspects. To the extent that a poem is a mandala summarily, and formally, deproduct of other factors, it is better un- picting its perpetual multi-dimensional derstood in terms of those factors, and it war. is possible to concentrate upon the outer aspects to the exclusion of inner aspects. MORALITY To the extent that both inner and outer factors contribute to the nature of a poem, Art is intimately related with morality, in one ought to recognize the presence of one many ways. To make clear how this is so, just as much as (equally) the other, even the Organicist view of the nature of ethics though the ways in which each contributes must first be stated. Ethics is concerned is different (unequal). Although internal with what is good and with what ought to and external factors are different in na- be done in order to obtain it. The goods ture, and such difference should not be sought, ultimately, are intrinsic values

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