"Our definition of a human being now has become Homo Sapiens: “we know”, or Homo-God-knows, all kinds of things. You know, Homo Faber: “we make things.” I think our point is Homo Aestheticus. I think the human being is on the planet in order to appreciate it. That's all. You don't have to do anything with it. You have to appreciate it, and what you do with it should add to its beauty." 19:00
Heh, yes I love that bit too. The twinkle in his eye. I also like how he skillfully refuses the artifice of repeating himself and inserting the interviewer's question. He kept it real.
I'm reading Hillman at the moment, so it's great to hear him speak, his ideas sparkle, he is brilliant. His expression of Homo Aestheticus in this clip, is a powerful line, it's a vision for life, but I wonder what this life would look like? Perhaps not like James Hillman's own life. Hillman woke up at 5:00am and wrote; he wrote dozens of books and lectures, he ran institutes, had wives and children, he was very busy. But this aesthetic vision of life seemed to dominate in the later part of his life, while married to his third wife the artist.
I think he very much embodied Homo Aestheticus. Check my past interviews with Thomas Moore where he describes Hillman’s love of shopping for beautiful socks and ties (as one example). His biography by Dick Russell also paints a picture of a man who loved beauty and valued it more than money, fame or prestige.
You don't have to do anything; just appreciate the world. That's all. Hillman loved fine neckties. He planted flowers and loved watching animals. Yes, he appreciated natural beauty and art, clearly. Hillman's Homo Aestheticus philosophy rings true for me as a vision for life, but I'm puzzling over the line 'That's all': 'I think the human being is on the planet in order to appreciate it. That's all'. Having read his biography, Hillman did a lot. He was driven, working from one project to the next.@@howlinthewilderness
@@leanmchungry4735 don’t take it as doctrine. Hillman always exaggerated to make a point. You could also consider that all his work was an expression of his deep appreciation of the beauty of the world.
I just heard Hillman confirm your observation of his style of exaggeration. In his talk on A Blue Fire he says "I'm doing it the way Ortega said, if you don't exaggerate there's no use talking"...and later "When I want to make a point I want to go as far as possible, and I want to hit the other people as hard as I can, even though it's all unreal" @@howlinthewilderness
Some very interesting lines of thought, from the need to learn from non-white cultures, to the unconscious attitude of infantile Innocence at play within American culture, to the need to “wake up”. Fast forward to today and these lines of thought are at the heart of the current culture war. On on side you have the “woke” people who are vociferously challenging the historically dominant white male culture but also want to be coddled in safe spaces in a totally infantile way and, on the other, the return of an overgrown toddler to the office of US President and the conspiracy theories that his followers want to wake the country up from. Both sides are more than willing to throw temper tantrums if they don’t get their way, and like 2 year olds, no-one wants to share! Seems like the American people are still very much asleep, and the Dream is increasingly becoming a nightmare.
I agree but I think he was referring to the loss of an ancient awareness of beauty in modern "white" or Western culture. The problem is not so much white but a modern way of being that has something in it that has been lost. Or at least, that's what I think he is trying to get at, not really 100% sure. Mostly a guess on my side.😅❤
@@grantsmythe8625 black males make up 6.5% of the us population and commit 50% of the murders. Black privilege is the ability break every law in the country and still remain the victim. And it’s not beautiful.
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"Our definition of a human being now has become Homo Sapiens: “we know”, or Homo-God-knows, all kinds of things. You know, Homo Faber: “we make things.” I think our point is Homo Aestheticus. I think the human being is on the planet in order to appreciate it. That's all. You don't have to do anything with it. You have to appreciate it, and what you do with it should add to its beauty." 19:00
beauty is the icing on the cake that is gratitude
"Thinking we're seperate from nature is a thinking disease." Thank you, Hillman. I agree.
great. thank you.
I love when they ask him the question at 23:36 he pauses looks at the camera and says: "I wrote that sometime ago"
Heh, yes I love that bit too. The twinkle in his eye. I also like how he skillfully refuses the artifice of repeating himself and inserting the interviewer's question. He kept it real.
'Live according to nature' the stoic motto
However, Beauty without Goodness is just glamour and vanity.
I'm reading Hillman at the moment, so it's great to hear him speak, his ideas sparkle, he is brilliant.
His expression of Homo Aestheticus in this clip, is a powerful line, it's a vision for life, but I wonder what this life would look like? Perhaps not like James Hillman's own life. Hillman woke up at 5:00am and wrote; he wrote dozens of books and lectures, he ran institutes, had wives and children, he was very busy. But this aesthetic vision of life seemed to dominate in the later part of his life, while married to his third wife the artist.
I think he very much embodied Homo Aestheticus. Check my past interviews with Thomas Moore where he describes Hillman’s love of shopping for beautiful socks and ties (as one example). His biography by Dick Russell also paints a picture of a man who loved beauty and valued it more than money, fame or prestige.
You don't have to do anything; just appreciate the world. That's all.
Hillman loved fine neckties. He planted flowers and loved watching animals. Yes, he appreciated natural beauty and art, clearly.
Hillman's Homo Aestheticus philosophy rings true for me as a vision for life, but I'm puzzling over the line 'That's all':
'I think the human being is on the planet in order to appreciate it. That's all'.
Having read his biography, Hillman did a lot. He was driven, working from one project to the next.@@howlinthewilderness
@@leanmchungry4735 don’t take it as doctrine. Hillman always exaggerated to make a point. You could also consider that all his work was an expression of his deep appreciation of the beauty of the world.
@@leanmchungry4735 made me think of Rebecca Solnit's book Orwells' Roses
I just heard Hillman confirm your observation of his style of exaggeration.
In his talk on A Blue Fire he says "I'm doing it the way Ortega said, if you don't exaggerate there's no use talking"...and later "When I want to make a point I want to go as far as possible, and I want to hit the other people as hard as I can, even though it's all unreal" @@howlinthewilderness
❤
Some very interesting lines of thought, from the need to learn from non-white cultures, to the unconscious attitude of infantile Innocence at play within American culture, to the need to “wake up”. Fast forward to today and these lines of thought are at the heart of the current culture war.
On on side you have the “woke” people who are vociferously challenging the historically dominant white male culture but also want to be coddled in safe spaces in a totally infantile way and, on the other, the return of an overgrown toddler to the office of US President and the conspiracy theories that his followers want to wake the country up from. Both sides are more than willing to throw temper tantrums if they don’t get their way, and like 2 year olds, no-one wants to share!
Seems like the American people are still very much asleep, and the Dream is increasingly becoming a nightmare.
🌻
Love is the answer
How do I get a transcript of these talks?
The Golden Calf and idolatry are already a separation from nature. Idolatry of animals is an abuse of animals.
cf wetiko
White people are beautiful and soulful. Be proud of white culture.
I agree but I think he was referring to the loss of an ancient awareness of beauty in modern "white" or Western culture. The problem is not so much white but a modern way of being that has something in it that has been lost. Or at least, that's what I think he is trying to get at, not really 100% sure. Mostly a guess on my side.😅❤
@@grantsmythe8625 black males make up 6.5% of the us population and commit 50% of the murders. Black privilege is the ability break every law in the country and still remain the victim. And it’s not beautiful.
creepy
A little too Malthusian to me. Yuck.