From crisica@idt.net Tue Aug 31 23:24:54 1999 Received: from mxu1.u.washington.edu (mxu1.u.washington.edu [140.142.32.8]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.9.3+UW99.02/8.9.3+UW99.01) with ESMTP id XAA52202 for ; Tue, 31 Aug 1999 23:24:54 -0700 Received: from u2.farm.idt.net (root@u2.farm.idt.net [169.132.8.11]) by mxu1.u.washington.edu (8.9.3+UW99.09/8.9.3+UW99.08) with ESMTP id XAA09752 for ; Tue, 31 Aug 1999 23:24:53 -0700 Received: from 18spd (ppp-22.ts-1-bay.nyc.idt.net [169.132.216.22]) by u2.farm.idt.net (8.9.3/8.9.2) with SMTP id CAA28478 for ; Wed, 1 Sep 1999 02:24:48 -0400 (EDT) Reply-To: From: "Christopher Robbins" To: "Classics List" Subject: Goethe on Cicero & more: a letter Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1999 02:34:53 -0400 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01BEF422.925A2800" X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01BEF422.925A2800 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Before Goethe's birthday fades wholly from note, I though the letter below might be of interest to the Classics list. The letter was extracted from the web site of one of our fellow Classics-L subscribers, John Worthy, and is publicly posted with his approval. I am told (though I remain skeptical) that the letter was written in English. In all events, I post the letter as found and unaltered for your perusal next below. Christopher Robbins, NYC, crisica@idt.net Most praiseworthy Herr Professor! Friend and teacher of my childhood, the great orator Cicero; Paul, beloved apostle to us heathen -- and oh yes, I certainly am a heathen--do permit me to break in upon your exchange with these notables. Certainly no author could be closer to me than these two, more familiar to me, more frequently perused and pondered. How could I for so long have failed to note the complete agreement between Paul and Cicero on a topic so important to me as art? Surely the failure must arise from my own duplicity! I have been unwilling to admit even to myself that I really do not accept their view, and that I disagree with two of the most influential thinkers in civilized history. Man searches the scriptures for onfirmation of his own preconceptions, and reads the classics to cleanse them of all incorrect opinion. Comfort! This is their criterion for excellent writing! Paul admonishes me to take comfort in scripture! Cicero derides Epicurus because he offers so little comfort! What could be clearer? And what could be farther from my own conviction and striving, these forescore years, to be an artist? I would sooner say, the purpose of writing is to discomfort the reader. I am reminded of my poor dear protege Friedrich Schiller, one of the great critics of all time. Like many thinkers of our day, he at first greets the Revolution as a godsend--and indeed the National Assembly makes him an honorary citoyen. But then he is just appalled at the democratic excesses which so overwhelm the sewers of Paris with blood. Surely, thinks Schiller, democracy has to be the one correct political form, and the wave of the future, yet we see plainly how those who rule themselves in Paris are not even themselves good citizens, much less competent to educate others. They have set up a vicious circle. Surely it will become a viciously downward spiral, democracy gravitating into ever greater egalitarianism until it culminates, as in Cicero's Rome, in ochlocracy proclaimed by the great man, be he a Caesar or a Danton. So long as all begins and ends with the people, how can the people escape their recurringly catastrophic imbecility? Every schoolboy knows Schiller's answer: art. Art is the incorruptible spring which forever renews the soul of man. Schiller begins by explaining how the drive to play is inherent in human nature: "We are never more human than at play, and no activity is so human as play." Art, Schiller then argues, is nothing other than the free play of the human spirit. Art, as humanity's innate teacher, he concludes, elevates mankind and will continually save us from brutishness. I am not going to quarrel with Schiller's thesis here. As artist myself, I like to think it is true--but I also understand its captiousness. Let us therefore defer discussion of the narrowly artistic issue, and remain for now on the more general plane of your letter to me about the classics. Nothing has proved more damaging to art, over the centuries, than the great causes art has served. The sure sign of the Philistine, of the banausic, of the unlearned lout posing as sophisticate, is how wonderfully useful he finds art to be. Art will serve any and all noble ends, indeed ought to serve them! Friedrich Schiller's hope that art might flow as pure spring water to refresh and cleanse the body politic is a noble hope. Paul's admonition that suffering humanity take comfort in the ancient writings is indeed a pious hope. Even more pious is the old pagan Cicero's judgement that a good philosopher will comfort suffering mankind. But in my opinion when Schiller treats art as handmaiden to politics he corrupts the pure springwater himself. Paul is doing the same when he permits, nay commands, readers to place the ancients in the service of his own notion of God. Those ancient writings, I say, culled from mankind's best by inexorable time, are themselves as near to God as we poor beggars are likely ever to get. We dare not treat them as priestesses in the Temple. Who is to assure us it has not become a Temple to Astarte? Goethe ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01BEF422.925A2800 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Before Goethe's birthday fades = wholly from=20 note, I though the letter below might be of interest to the Classics = list. =20 The letter was extracted from the web site of one of our fellow = Classics-L=20 subscribers, John Worthy, and is publicly posted with his = approval.  I am=20 told (though I remain skeptical) that the letter was written in = English. =20 In all events, I post the letter as found and unaltered for your perusal = next=20 below.  Christopher Robbins, NYC, crisica@idt.net
 
Most praiseworthy Herr Professor! =
 
       = Friend and=20 teacher of my childhood, the great orator Cicero; Paul, beloved apostle = to us=20 heathen --=20 and oh yes, I certainly = am a=20 heathen--do permit me to break in upon your exchange with these = notables.  Certainly no author could be = closer to me=20 than these two, more familiar to me, more frequently perused and pondered.  How could I for so = long have=20 failed to note the complete agreement between Paul and Cicero on a topic so important to me as art?=20
 
       = Surely the=20 failure must arise from my own duplicity!  I have been unwilling to = admit=20 even to myself that I really do = not accept=20 their view, and that I disagree with two of the most influential = thinkers in=20 civilized history.  Man searches=20 the scriptures for onfirmation of his own preconceptions, and reads the = classics=20 to cleanse them of all incorrect = opinion.=20
 
       = Comfort! =20 This is their criterion for excellent writing!  Paul admonishes me = to take=20 comfort in scripture!  Cicero=20 derides Epicurus because he offers so little comfort!  What could = be=20 clearer?  And what could be = farther=20 from my own conviction and striving, these forescore years, to be an=20 artist?  I would sooner say, the=20 purpose of writing is to discomfort the reader.
 
       I = am reminded=20 of my poor dear protege Friedrich Schiller, one of the great critics of = all=20 time.  Like many thinkers = of our day,=20 he at first greets the Revolution as a godsend--and indeed the National=20 Assembly makes him an honorary=20 citoyen.  But then he is = just=20 appalled at the democratic excesses which so=20 overwhelm the sewers of Paris with blood.  Surely, thinks = Schiller,=20 democracy has to be the one correct=20 political form, and the wave of the future, yet we see plainly = how those=20 who rule themselves in Paris are not
even themselves good citizens, = much less=20 competent to educate others.  They have set up a vicious = circle.  Surely it will become a = viciously=20 downward spiral, democracy gravitating into ever greater = egalitarianism until it culminates, as in Cicero's = Rome, in=20 ochlocracy proclaimed by the great man, be he a Caesar or a Danton.  So long as all begins = and ends=20 with the people, how can the people escape their recurringly catastrophic imbecility? =
 
       = Every=20 schoolboy knows Schiller's answer:  art.  Art is the = incorruptible=20 spring which forever renews the = soul of=20 man.  Schiller begins by explaining how the drive to play is = inherent in=20 human nature:  "We are never = more=20 human than at play, and no activity is so human as play."  Art, = Schiller=20 then argues, is nothing other = than the=20 free play of the human spirit.  Art, as humanity's innate teacher, = he=20 concludes, elevates mankind and = will=20 continually save us from brutishness.  I am not going to quarrel = with=20 Schiller's thesis here.  As=20 artist myself, I like to think it is true--but I also understand its=20 captiousness.  Let us therefore defer=20 discussion of the narrowly artistic issue, and remain for now on = the more=20 general plane of your letter to me = about=20 the classics.
 
       = Nothing has=20 proved more damaging to art, over the centuries, than the great causes = art has=20 served.  The sure sign of = the=20 Philistine, of the banausic, of the unlearned lout posing as = sophisticate, is=20 how wonderfully useful he finds = art to=20 be.  Art will serve any and all noble ends, indeed ought to serve=20 them!  Friedrich Schiller's = hope that=20 art might flow as pure spring water to refresh and cleanse the body = politic is a=20 noble hope.  Paul's = admonition that=20 suffering humanity take comfort in the ancient writings is indeed a = pious=20 hope.
 
       Even = more pious=20 is the old pagan Cicero's judgement that a good philosopher will comfort = suffering mankind.  But in = my opinion=20 when Schiller treats art as handmaiden to politics he corrupts the = pure springwater himself.  Paul is = doing the=20 same when he permits, nay commands, readers to place the ancients in the service of his own notion of = God. =20 Those ancient writings, I say, culled from mankind's best by inexorable time, are themselves as = near to God=20 as we poor beggars are likely ever to get.  We dare not treat them as priestesses in the = Temple.  Who is=20 to assure us it has not become a Temple to Astarte?
 
          &nbs= p;            = ;            =             &= nbsp;           &n= bsp;           &nb= sp;           &nbs= p;    =20 Goethe
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