Isaak Levitan’s Images of the Unknown

God and Goddess Emerging

Reviewed by: You Should See Yourself: Jewish Identity in Postmodern American Culture Susan A. Glenn (bio) You Should See Yourself: Jewish Identity in Postmodern American Culture. Edited by Vincent Brook. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2006. 337 pp. How do contemporary artists engage with the question of what it means to be a Jew? This volume contains fourteen essays by leading scholars of Jewish culture who reflect upon the complexities of Jewish identity in the work of “postmodern” representation. Each essay in this volume analyzes the tension between postmodern “anti-essentialism” and category crisis and the question of whether and how to depict Jewish difference. In the postmodern era, when artists are breaking free of reductive thinking and challenging “absolute truths,” notes the volume’s [End Page 336] editor, Vincent Brook, the most urgent issue is not “how” Jewish culture should be defined, but rather “the increasing inability, yet persistent necessity, to define it” (6). Organized topically according to cultural form, these revelatory and thought-provoking essays range across the terrain of literature, theater, music, dance, painting, photography, film, television, and stand-up comedy. Some essays, such as artist Ruth Weisberg’s “Between Exile and Irony: Modernism, Postmodernism, and Jewish Modes of Thought,” are highly polemical critiques of the postmodern erasure of Jewish ethnic particularity in representational art. For example, she lauds the work of twentieth-century “modern” artists, such as R. B. Kitaj and Marc Chagall, who took the “archetypal exilic figure” of the Wandering Jew and tried to “reclaim it,” while criticizing the representational strategies of “postmodernist appropriation that tends to drain [Jewish] meaning from the work of art rather than amplify it” (168). Weisberg identifies what she calls “a Catch-22 situation” for Jewish artists, arguing that “the art world tends to punish those who are focused on the expression of their Judaism in an unambiguous and relatively un-ironic way” (170). According to Weisberg, the large museums (where Jews are well-represented on boards of directors) rarely mount exhibits with Jewish themes, consigning these to Jewish museums, while Jewish museums tend to favor Jewish artists with a secular and ambiguous Jewish orientation. Other contributors embrace the possibilities that postmodernism offers for challenging Jewish “master narratives.” For example, in her essay “Troubling Jewish Identity in Postmodern American Theater,” Jan Lewis sees postmodernism as a useful way of challenging “reductive essentialisms,” about the nature of Jewishness. Reading the work of playwright Wendy Wasserstein through a postmodernist lens, Lewis highlights the “flexible possibilities for American Jewish identity” and shows how her plays challenge notions of a monolithic and stable sense of who and what is Jewish. Daniel Itzkovitz’s suggestive essay on the “New Jew” in Hollywood film argues that secular Jewish identity has long been “defiantly elusive” and thus may be seen as “the quintessential postmodern identity” (240). Focusing on the proliferation of male Jewish characters in recent Hollywood films, he insists Jewish liminality has also been “domesticated” and contained by efforts to turn the liminal Jew into a kind of “normative American everyman” (245). In their essay on “Postmodern Jewishness” in television comedy, Michele Byers and Rosalin Krieger focus on a related theme: the notion of “newness” in the televisual depiction of Jewish men, offering the paradoxical claim that the possibilities for imagining a new sense of Jewishness emerge in the repetition of older Jewish images (279). One example is the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm. Although the [End Page 337] show relies on well-established traditions of Jewish humor, “the Jewish content, sensibility, and recognizability” of these familiar tropes provide fresh perspectives since they do not “fall in line with narratives and images that would be comfortable for non-Jewish audiences” (284). The “postmodern self-awareness” of the Jewish characters also allows them to assume an “outsider perspective,” even as they operate from what appears to be the realm of assimilated American life (293). Brook has assembled a stellar cast of contributors, and thus it is a shame that his all-too-brief introduction to the volume does little to highlight the thematic relationship among the essays. Rather, he focuses in on debates among “passionate adherents of the pro-, anti-, and ambivalent postmodernist schools,” but with...

Research in Augustine is manifold. Recent scholarship in Germany focused upon Augustine‘s heresiology (esp. against Manichaeism, but also Pelagianism, Donatism, Priscillianism), the controversy with Neoplatonism, his exegesis (esp. in sermons and in de Genesi ad litteram), emotions (esp. for the description of sin and grace), and his widespread correspondence. As important impulses for modern theology, his concept of God may be of special interest. God establishes his will in time and history and cannot be urged against his will. This is the presupposition not only for Augustine’s christology and pneumatology, but also for his understanding of history and his doctrine of grace. The latter takes into consideration the social context of human beings, the emotional character of voluntary decisions and the ongoing development of individual identity. Furthermore, good and evil are not equal options, but the good is only possible if God enables the individual to act according to his insights and exerts a direct influence upon one's will. Insights or knowledge are not salvific by themselves, but belong to one’s development that leads to a better understanding of creation and revelation exactly when it is orientated towards God’s salvific operations.

Will to the Original: Platonism in Henry James’ <i>Roderick Hudson</i>

This exposition relates Claude-Lévi Strauss' concept of bricolage with two examples of the author's artistic praxis, with the aim that the subjective case studies will contribute to highlight a more general methodological standpoint of contemporary artistic creation, namely: the artistic work as a dialogical, enactive process where the discussion with the artistic material takes a guiding role. The proposal intends to resituate a classic concept from structuralist anthropology, which I find strikingly useful for analysing contemporary intermedia artistic processes and works. The exposition discusses the philosophical implications of a practice that abandons itself to an unforeseen, dialogical relationship with the environment. The oeuvre then becomes an ecological process of using what is offered by the situation, in a constant discussion with the environment. Ideas, forms and materials are engendered, lost and transformed in a dynamic process that resembles a sort of artistic aikido. The ecological strand of the discussion on bricolage leads to Anna Tsing's "Mushroom at the End of the World" and Timothy Morton’s “Dark Ecology”, where the concept of Nature and the value of naturalness are abolished in favour of a flat relationship between human and her environment: an ecological system between different manifestations of being, where human-made phenomena are not regarded as extra-natural. An artistic practice of bricolage finds a favourable breeding-ground in such a conceptual context.

Philip Roth

This paper is written to discuss a problem of truth caused by westernization of knowledge in Islamic world. According to the western civilization, the truth is relative. Nothing is absolute. It is because they have made human as measurement of all things which have just been depending on fives senses and reason with philosophical speculation in secular life. The dichotomy of reality and truth could not be avoided. Therefore, this paper tries to explain the concept of truth in Islamic and Western view. Hopefully, this research could benefit all Moslem people to view the reality and the truth. It is absolutely urgent for a Moslem to know characteristic of Islamic concept of truth as the basis of the Islamic worldview such as concept of God, concept of man, and concept of nature.

Previous articleNext article No AccessDiscussionThe New PhilosophyE. JordanE. Jordan Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Ethics Volume 48, Number 3Apr., 1938 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/290008 Views: 1Total views on this site PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

BOOK REVIEWS 123 Kant's Moral Philosophy. By H. B. Acton. (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1970. Pp. 71. Paper $1.95) As part of an introductory series entitled "New Studies in Ethics," this brief study of Kant's ethics is a fine job of condensation which does pretty much what it is intended to do. The concentration, as one would expect, is on Kant's Grundlegung, with occasional references to the Lectures on Ethics, The Doctrine o[ Virtue, and the Critique o/ Practical Reason. A brief introduction to the background and influences on Kant's ethics is provided which indicates Kant's sympathy with the doctrine of moral sentiment in his essay, Enquiry into the Distinctness o/ the Fundamental Propositions o/Natural Theology and Morality. In discussing the essential principles of Kantian ethics, H. B. Acton deals with the attempt to expunge all "sensuous motives" from ethical prescription, including the denial of the moral value of actions done from a "pathological" (emotional or passional) motive . En passant, reference is made to Kant's notion that one should act out of reverence or respect (Achtung) for the moral law, a "moral feeling" which only a rational being aware of the moral law can have (p. 14). What is not mentioned is that this notion of respect seems to have an empirical or psychologistic content which seems to undermine Kant's intention to construct "a pure moral philosophy." Kant's long footnote referring to the use of "respect" does not quite obviate the charge of empirical reference (Acton suggests that it does) since it is said that "respect . ... is not a feeling received through influence, but is sel/-wrought by a rational concept" (Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic o/ Morals, trans. T. K. Abbott [Chicago, 1949], p. 19, note 1). It seems that one could have "respect" for a principle of compassion which would conform to Kant's requirements. In subsequent sections Acton deals briefly (and in a somewhat cursory manner) with the distinction between hypothetical and categorical imperatives, duties to oneself, and (quite substantially) with the question of universalizability. In this latter discussion, reference is made to the social consequences of universalizing certain maxims (p. 25), but no reference is made to the illogical consequences of universalizing such maxims even though Kant explicitly states that one could not universalize a maxim that one may borrow money with a false promise to repay it because "it could never hold as a universal law of nature and be consistent with itself; rather it must necessarily contradict itself" (ibid., p. 45). While Acton agrees with Paton that Kant puts his arguments coneerning universalizing certain maxims in a "prudential way" (p. 26), he only mentions in passing the influence which Kant's conception of nature has on his ethics (p. 48), despite the fact that Kant construes universalizability in ethics as analogous to the form of "universal laws of nature." Despite this omission, Acton does include lucid discussions of the empirical content in Kant's appeal to the "means" which individuals have to perform right actions (pp. 30-31), the question whether one is motivated by "the mere form of a universal legislation," the "law giving" nature of moral principles (p. 38), and the influence of certain notions in Rousseau's thought on Kant's ethics (p. 43). In the concluding chapters of this work Aeton proffers a good exposition of Kant's conception of freedom and the moral argument for immortality. Perhaps one may question whether Acton is correct in asserting that Kant entirely rejected the notion that God "made" the moral law (p. 53). For one could appeal to the Opus postumum for counterevidence. Thus, Kant avers that "the categorical imperative represents human duties as divine commandments" (p. 570) and that "the concept of God is the Idea of a moral being which, as such, judges and issues universal commands" (p. 614). On this point, Acton refers without comment to Kant's view that neither man nor God is the author of moral laws (Lectures on Ethics) and subsequently states that, for Kant, man obeys a law he recognizes as his when he obeys the moral law (p. 53). It 124...

Linnæus' Nemesis divina has been interpreted in different ways. Crucial is its central problem: the ideas of fate and retribution, but these are, in turn, dependent on Linnæus' conception of God and nature and not least on his opinions concerning the unity and coherence of the natural and ethical order of the world. From whatever sources Linnæus may have derived his religious ideas and whatever changes they may have undergone, his religious attitude in face of the works of nature remained unshaken. But Linnæus' religion, as we find it fragmentarily in these literary sources, was entirely undogmatic, untheological and, from a Christian point of view, even heterodox. Partly, this was in accord with his belief in the necessary immanent coherence in the processes of nature and the concomitant idea of the righteous divine order of the world.

Reimagining Judaism

Despite the war, the author of the article has developed and thoroughly substantiated the concept of the noospheric-cosmic imperative. Since 2018, he has been working on a circle of noospheric-cosmic ideas and representations, creating a new type of corresponding art. With the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression in 2022, while staying in Kyiv, he consciously and purposefully intensified his research. The firm conviction in the necessity of new, life-saving thinking and art—for both Ukraine and all of humanity— has been confirmed by the horrifying current events. By 2024, a bouquet of ideas from prominent global figures across different eras and the author’s own intuitive insights were structured into an ambitious prophetic teaching of the noospheric-cosmic imperative, which serves as the foundation of the noospheric-cosmic art of the future. This new art constitutes the active visual component of the concept, its external representational form. Complementing one another, they propose a path to saving civilization from disgraceful and—unfortunately—more than real self-destruction or destruction by Gaia. They outline a way to overcome suicidal confrontation and reach a peaceful, happy future of development, human flourishing, and ultimately the fulfillment of humanity’s cosmic destiny. Today, in light of the unprecedented militaristic psychosis, the insane escalation of mutual hatred and hostility, the ongoing wars, and the all-too-real threat of global nuclear catastrophe, there is nothing more vital and urgent in the world. The article explores in detail the global origins and mission of the noospheric-cosmic imperative, which is based on a synthesis of numerous philosophical, scientific, and spiritual ideas and discoveries throughout the history of civilization, taking into account its new and pressing ecological needs. It reveals the decisive Ukrainian source of the imperative—the noosphere concept developed by academician Volodymyr Vernadsky. It also examines the ultra-contemporary anthropocosmism theory of 20th-century Ukrainian scientist Mykola Kholodny, which was clearly ahead of its time and is a significant component of the noospheric-cosmic imperative. The article also touches on the influence of the Gaia theory proposed by British researcher James Lovelock and creatively developed by philosopher Bruno Latour. It identifies predecessors and figures with similar worldviews in global art and culture. Special attention is given to the leading role of Kazimir Malevich’s artistic work and the intuitively noospheric art of Robert and Sonia Delaunay, whom the author regards as his forerunners. The article demonstrates that under the current conditions of the modern world, visual representation of a worldview-philosophical concept through art can be the most vivid and effective means of conveying new, life-saving understanding to the global community. The constructive idea of the noospheric-cosmic imperative has the potential to become an important national program—a beautiful, accessible, and appealing civilizational proposal from Ukraine to the world.

Born over a fifty-year period, the artists in this volume represent several generations of twentieth-century artists. Examining the work of such influential artists as Mark Rothko, Max Weber, and Ruth Weisberg, Baigell directly confronts their Jewish identity - as a religious, cultural, and psychological component of their lives - and explores the way in which this influence is reflected in their art. Drawing upon their common heritage, Baigell reveals the different ways these artists responded to the Great Immigration, the Depression, the Holocaust, the founding of the state of Israel, and the rise of feminism. Each artist's varied Jewish experiences have contributed to the creation of a visual language and subject matter that reflect both Jewish assimilation and Jewish continuity in ways that inform modern Jewish history and changes in present-day America. Offering a fresh examination of well-known artists, as well as long overdue attention to lesser-known artists, Baigell's incisive observations are indispensable to our understanding of the Jewish themes in these artists' work. Written in a lively and spirited prose, this book is compulsory reading for those interested in modern American art and Jewish studies.

Featuring&nbsp;sixty-seven&nbsp;illustrations, and providing an important&nbsp;reckoning and visualization of the previously hidden Jewish 'ghosts' within US&nbsp;art, Jewish Identities in American Feminist Art addresses the veiled role of Jewishness in the understanding of feminist art in the United States. From New York city&nbsp;to Southern California, Lisa E. Bloom situates the art practices of&nbsp;Jewish feminist artists from the 1970s&nbsp;to the&nbsp;present in&nbsp;relation to wider cultural and historical issues. Key themes are examined in depth through the work of contemporary Jewish artists including: Eleanor Antin Judy Chicago Deborah Kass Rhonda Lieberman Martha Rosler and many others. Crucial in any study of art,&nbsp;visual studies, women's studies&nbsp;and cultural studies, this is a&nbsp;new and lively&nbsp;exploration into&nbsp;a vital&nbsp;component of US art.

It is generally accepted that many composers of the British musical renaissance were strongly stimulated and influenced by nature, but questions such as how and why this influence actually worked, how it manifests itself in the music, how variously composers perceived and reacted to nature, and how ‘nature’ might be defined in the first place (particularly as expressed in a work of art) seem less clear. Although discussions of nature's influence on art have been attempted for centuries, only recently have commentators begun analyzing the exact function of nature in its various guises in the inspiration, creation and shaping of music. Concepts of nature itself differ widely for both composers and musicologists; while ‘nature’ (as a social, cultural or personal construct) in early 20th-century British music tended to be rural, idealized and rustic, it may more generally be understood as the material world in its entirety. Thus Vaughan Williams's London Symphony is just as valid ‘nature music’ as the Sea and Pastoral Symphonies that came before and after.