Three Faces of Human Exceptionalism: Genius, Saint, Monster
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City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 5-2015 Three Faces of Human Exceptionalism: Genius, Saint, Monster Mary Clare Feldmann McKinley Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/1046 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] THREE FACES OF HUMAN EXCEPTIONALISM: GENIUS, SAINT, MONSTER by Mary Clare F. McKinley A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Philosophy in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2015 © 2015 Mary Clare F. McKinley All Rights Reserved ii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Philosophy in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Date Thomas Teufel Chair of Examining Committee Date John Greenwood Executive Officer Nickolas Pappas Noel Carroll Peter Simpson Mary Wiseman Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii Abstract THREE FACES OF HUMAN EXCEPTIONALISM: GENIUS, SAINT, MONSTER by Mary Clare F. McKinley Advisor: Professor Nickolas Pappas An exposition of the artistic genius invokes the perennial challenge to determine intersections between ethics (or morality) and aesthetics. As the human figure of the aesthetic realm, the genius meets its match in two counterparts of the ethical realm: the saint and the monster. Indeed, the genius shares traits with both figures, drawing closer to the saint in its communicative capacity while also revealing a prodigious nature more akin to the monster. This dissertation poses the following question: between the saint and the monster, does the genius resonate more with one than with the other? As one strategy to find an answer, the dissertation identifies and develops criteria to structure a comparative analysis. Ultimately proposing a stronger alliance between the genius and the saint than between the genius and the monster, the dissertation explores the ways that humans define these three figures, and how through those definitions humans consider and revise their own dispositions and capacities. iv Acknowledgements I am indebted to so many thoughtful and generous conversational partners without whose help this dissertation could never have been realized. Principal among them is Nick Pappas whose critical and kind support guided me through this project from beginning to end. His understanding, enthusiasm, and advice, whether pertinent to my topic specifically or to life in general, were of utmost importance to the completion of this degree. In addition, I want to thank Peter Simpson, who provided useful feedback to a draft of chapter five, and my other dissertation committee members, including Noel Carroll, Thomas Teufel, and Mary Wiseman, for their illuminating questions and thoughtful suggestions. I am also grateful for the support of the faculty and staff of the Philosophy Department at the CUNY Graduate Center. I would like to extend deep thanks to my colleagues and friends at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where I have been working simultaneously while pursuing this degree. In particular, Rebecca Rabinow, whose leadership and sense of humor were (and still are) invaluable to me, allowed me to remain optimistic that art historical research and exhibition planning are perfect complements to dissertation work in philosophy. Most importantly, I would like to thank my family and friends for their enduring support. My parents remain infinite sources of love and encouragement. My dad’s philosophical interests stimulated him (perhaps now regrettably) to act as an unofficial reader of several drafts of this dissertation, and many of his suggestions shaped the final product. My thanks to him for always believing that this was an important endeavor and strategizing with me on how best to accomplish it. My mom, whose vicarious dissertation experience is vast, wisely and calmly reassured me that I could juggle an academic career, work, and family, and helped me do it. My siblings continued to cheer me on at every stage, offer sound advice and provide fun distractions along the way. I relied heavily on them at many critical junctures. I am grateful for my in-laws, cousins, and friends, near and far, who patiently endured my complaints year after year and deferred plans to lend a sympathetic ear (and so much more) whenever I needed them. My warmest devotion and thanks to my husband, John. His gentle and unflagging support enabled me to finish this project. He read many versions of the manuscript, diplomatically offering suggested revisions that substantially improved the outcome. The final year of this dissertation coincided with the birth of our daughter, August Wells. Her sweet and sunny disposition makes every day brighter and made finishing this dissertation easier. v THREE FACES OF HUMAN EXCEPTIONALISM: GENIUS, SAINT, MONSTER Table of Contents Part I. In Search of Criteria for the Genius Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………….1 Chapter 1. Plato’s Poet: Conceptual Origins of the Artistic Genius…………………………...8 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………...8 Nature and Natural Endowments………………………………………………………..9 Artistic Knowledge……………………………………………………………….........16 Divine Inspiration, Human Communication, and Expectations……………………….18 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………..26 Chapter 2. Artistic Genius According to Kant………………………………………………..28 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………28 On the Innate and Acquired……………………………………………………………34 The Genius’s Freedom………………………………………………………………...45 Aesthetic Encounters…………………………………………………………………..48 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………..51 Part II. Elucidation of the Criteria Chapter 3. Five Criteria Associated with the Genius…………………………………………52 Communication or Feeling that You Have Been Communicated with………………..52 Prodigy………………………………………………………………………………...68 Rarity…………………………………………………………………………………..73 Ability to Freshly Apply Artistic Conventions………………………………………..74 Commitment…….……………………………………………………………………..82 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………..87 Part III. Testing the Criteria on Moral Conceptual Figures Chapter 4. The Saint………………………………………………………………………….89 Introduction………………………………………………………………………........89 Coleman’s Characterization of the Saint ……………………………………………...94 The Saint in Light of the Five Criteria……………………………………………….100 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………..110 Chapter 5. The Monster……………………………………………………………………...112 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………...112 Monsters in the Round………………………………………………………………..118 Ancient Greek Definitions..…………………………………………………..121 Biblical Examples…………………………………………………………….132 Kant and a Proposed Perverse Counter-Imperative…………………………..137 Arendt: Deceptive Appearances and Sharing the Earth………………………140 The Monster in Light of the Five Criteria…………………………………………….142 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………152 Part IV. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………155 vi Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………164 vii Part I. In Search of Criteria for the Genius Plato and Kant provide the salient features of the genius as philosophy has understood that conceptual figure over time. Introduction All of us have some conversations and situations, sometimes just a bit we have overheard or read, that the mind cannot let go; it continues to wrestle with the ideas and the frustration of being unable to either dismiss or resolve them. It is precisely this condition that accounts for the origins of my dissertation. After careful study of foundational aesthetic texts by Plato and Kant and interpretations of them, I recognized a persistent concern about the contemporary use of the term “artistic genius.” Furthermore, a storm of readings, conversations, and experiences kept swirling around, sometimes violent and other times quiet, yet still unsettled. The association of these disparate experiences eventually coalesced into a thesis organized around a central concern. The concern derives from the growing usage and yet persistent lack of clarity around what is meant by the word “genius” when used to describe an artist.1 The term is familiar in philosophical treatments of it, particularly that proposed by Immanuel Kant. However, since that time, the term has enjoyed numerous and varying uses and applications resulting in its having inscrutable meaning. My discussion is focused on the ways that the term is used in combination with other labels as well – namely, when it is linked with the moral figures of the saint and the monster. All three conceptual figures, the genius, the saint, and the monster, are extreme or 1 “And so geniuses multiply in the media, while dying an ignominious death in academe.” (McMahon, Darrin M. “Where Have All the Geniuses Gone.” Chronicle of Higher Education. October 21, 2013. http://chronicle.com/article/Where-Have-All-the-Geniuses/142353/) 1 exceptional types of human beings.2 What is most perplexing is the way that the word genius can be connected with the two extreme moral figures that traditionally occupy diametrically opposed ends of the moral spectrum. And yet the frequency of these combinations persists. The following three examples are representative of the artistic genius as it enjoys definitional ambiguity and differing moral associations.