To elaborate on K-pop a bit, what I noticed is a different approach to ethics. When we say a watch is good, we mean it serves its function well, it tells time correctly. When a modern westerner says a man/woman is good, they mean it in a bad vs evil way, like "is this man/woman a decent christian" (or "decent believer of whatever current prog politics" for in the case of our current year), so ethics have been decoupled from any telos/purpose. But that is not so for K-pop, where an idol is "good" if they serve their function as idols properly: aesthetics as you mentioned (=virtue of beauty), singing (=virtue of patience/practice/skill), how they carry themselves at variety shows (=virtue of charisma), etc. So we are closer to Aristotle/Macintyre on ethics, or to Nietzsche's good vs bad if you prefer that framing.
Also there's competitions like Eurovision, not only with groups but with individual idols and trainees who want to 'make it' and debut with prestigious entertainment companies, and not just singing but all kinds of skills like I mentioned above, so I think K-pop also fits with the archetypal Roman spectacle that you mention.
"The Christian ought to save his spiritual excitement for the Apocalypse"
I find this amusing
“Professional sports do not represent ideals of citizenship but increasingly genetic outliers”
I’m curious about how to get back to this ideal or whether it’s possible. There’s a sense in which the trans stuff may actually be the way it happens since it’s included because of the value and importance of representing people and accepting them for who they are.
“base urges rather than aesthetic ideals”
Wouldn’t the most aesthetic things excite the senses the most? We behave as if this is true, but I'd be curious to hear the argument that true beauty is sublime.
Good read.
To elaborate on K-pop a bit, what I noticed is a different approach to ethics. When we say a watch is good, we mean it serves its function well, it tells time correctly. When a modern westerner says a man/woman is good, they mean it in a bad vs evil way, like "is this man/woman a decent christian" (or "decent believer of whatever current prog politics" for in the case of our current year), so ethics have been decoupled from any telos/purpose. But that is not so for K-pop, where an idol is "good" if they serve their function as idols properly: aesthetics as you mentioned (=virtue of beauty), singing (=virtue of patience/practice/skill), how they carry themselves at variety shows (=virtue of charisma), etc. So we are closer to Aristotle/Macintyre on ethics, or to Nietzsche's good vs bad if you prefer that framing.
Also there's competitions like Eurovision, not only with groups but with individual idols and trainees who want to 'make it' and debut with prestigious entertainment companies, and not just singing but all kinds of skills like I mentioned above, so I think K-pop also fits with the archetypal Roman spectacle that you mention.
"The Christian ought to save his spiritual excitement for the Apocalypse"
I find this amusing
“Professional sports do not represent ideals of citizenship but increasingly genetic outliers”
I’m curious about how to get back to this ideal or whether it’s possible. There’s a sense in which the trans stuff may actually be the way it happens since it’s included because of the value and importance of representing people and accepting them for who they are.
“base urges rather than aesthetic ideals”
Wouldn’t the most aesthetic things excite the senses the most? We behave as if this is true, but I'd be curious to hear the argument that true beauty is sublime.