A very enlightening exposition of Poe's genius; in the works you cite I believe Poe was describing the workings of a moral conscience that is hard-wired in all of us but does not operate always to the same degree; or in some cases may not exist at all or remain undeveloped; the healthy personality is motivated by a sense of shame which is a guardian of conscience and normally guides us in making right or wrong choices; but there are those who exhibit an almost total lack of shame and reveal the roots of psychopathy in their actions; as Mark Twain once remarked: "Man is the only animal who blushes, or has need to."
Robert Sapolsky the influential Stanford biologist is out with his latest book in which he argues we have no free will and our lives are determined by our biological inheritances. To me this comes dangerously close to Social Darwinism, the undesirable effects of which are well known. Poe must have foreseen Sapolsky's arrival. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Determined:_A_Science_of_Life_Without_Free_Will
All you have to do is check on who funded that creepster or who owns his publisher. Email him to inform him how his own ancestors failed epically to raise a normal human being with a conscience.
Related to this theme is Oscar Wilde's The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Whether it's called Karma or conscience; "What goes around comes around" or "You reap what you sow" all behaviors have consequences.
Wow! Quite an exposition...We were taught, correctly, that Poe's alleged drunkenness was simply a vile calumny by a certain rival, after his mysterious death...But Poe's achievements, which included inventing the mystery story as a form of art in The Purloined Letter, were amazing..He even anticipated the theory of relativity...and as you discuss, his understanding of the human psyche was far ahead of his time....,Such a brilliant man, who died too young....
I have enjoyed reading/watching both you and Matthew and tying into a little art history.
Here are some notes from dAda mUse’s recent showing of Goya’s Los Caprichos meets Dali’s Les Caprices. www.dadamuse.com.au that tie in with your Poe analysis and Goya imagery.
When Goya meets Dali - Goya or the hard way to enlightenment!
Goya depicted subjects in his Los Caprichos series of 80 aquatint etchings in 1799 - described by him as “from the multitude of follies and blunders common in every civil society, as well as from the vulgar prejudices and lies authorized by custom, ignorance or interest, those that he has thought most suitable matter for ridicule.” Ironically, published in a liquor store across the road from his house on the Street of Disillusionment (Calle del Desengano)!
Not surprising that Dali would choose a surrealism take on Goya’s theme (done in 1978) with many rhymes evident in modern society, depicting "the innumerable foibles and follies to be found in any civilized society, and from the common prejudices and deceitful practices which custom, ignorance or self-interest have made usual.”
In Capricho 6 Goya proclaims “Nobody knows himself”, saying “The world is a masquerade. Face, dress and voice, all are false. All wish to appear what they are not, all deceive and do not even know themselves.” Dali’s clever title “Apart from the salivary glands” reflecting our avaricious desires.
Plate 43 (which Cynthia depicts) is the most iconic print from the series, and Goya had intended this to be his opening plate – being a disguised self-portrait suffering ‘diabolic visions of his anguished brain’ – “The sleep of reason produces monsters”. The age of enlightenment would proclaim its values that - without reason, evil and corruption prevail. But the message from Goya was deeper – his caption for the print saying “Imagination abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters; united with her, she is the mother of the arts and source of their wonders.”
Much like the surrealists to come Goya believed art to be the child of a marriage between reason and imagination and that imagination should never be completely renounced in favour of the strictly rational. Suppression of creativity is a hallmark of stepping towards totalitarianism. Fascism is the outcome of such renunciation of imagination and therefore arts in favour of strict rationality. Fascism as Hayek highlighted in the Road to Serfdom being "the inevitable consequence of socialism" (as opposed to a reaction to it).
As Cynthia describes free choice is our decision to determine what our relationship is to our conscience. Utilitarians (collectivism) freely disengage from morals and conscience in their pursuit/exercise of power - Moral disengagement. The image to plate 43 and its caption were inspired by a title page to a 1793 edition of Rousseau’s "Philosophie", whose texts were then anathema to both Crown and Church. In Goya's time in Spanish tradition whooping owls were not associated with wisdom but brainless stupidity!
Plate 80 “It is time” concludes on a diabolical note – "tocsin (alarm bell) call to awaken at the last split second of a nightmare’s hold". After all this was all just a disordered imagination. “When the brain is hurt by an accident, or the mind disordered by dreams or sickness, the fancy is overrun with wild dismal ideas, and terrified with a thousand hideous monsters of it’s own framing”
This passage translated by Goya’s friend Jose Luis Munarriz from Joseph Addisons spectator essay of 1712 “On the pleasures of imagination” may well have been a chief literary source of Goya’s series of caprices.
How so? Because the reason, the causality, remained undiscovered, was seen as undiscoverable.
Insane but guilty could not stand with the scientists, who could never admit a reality that could not be measured, nor conclude that there could ever be accountability for the unmeasurable.
Great article! A keeper. Very deep and important insights, profitable and well worth the price of a subscription in and of itself. I'm all in. Thank you very much...
Interesting timing.... our audiobook version of his compilation of Tales - Horror and Death just came out if anyone wants a listen. Was very interesting as this post notes.
"....Gall made the claim that moral and intellectual faculties that governed impulses were innate. In other words, people were born with their moral character and intelligence. For example, if you were a thief, it was because you were born with a predisposition to an impulse of deceitfulness...." < how so: if thievery can be seen as immoral (let's take the Ten Commandments as a crude guide to moral behaviour), this would mean one could possibly also be born with immoral and non-intellectual faculties. talking about anything 'innate": look at how young children act and interact. phrenology really goes the way of eugenics, doesn't it....
I've got a great book collection and his works on my shelf. Thanks for pushing me to read his real message. By the way, have you heard of Iceisnice Odysee with Dmytry Oulox? What an update and he spares no words on conflicts, the players and what's all on the table now with Russia/China alliance and that they know the west is descending, weak and will now have to focus on the problems at home as they have nothing left to fight anyone abroad because of their greed. Would love to know your thoughts.
A very enlightening exposition of Poe's genius; in the works you cite I believe Poe was describing the workings of a moral conscience that is hard-wired in all of us but does not operate always to the same degree; or in some cases may not exist at all or remain undeveloped; the healthy personality is motivated by a sense of shame which is a guardian of conscience and normally guides us in making right or wrong choices; but there are those who exhibit an almost total lack of shame and reveal the roots of psychopathy in their actions; as Mark Twain once remarked: "Man is the only animal who blushes, or has need to."
Robert Sapolsky the influential Stanford biologist is out with his latest book in which he argues we have no free will and our lives are determined by our biological inheritances. To me this comes dangerously close to Social Darwinism, the undesirable effects of which are well known. Poe must have foreseen Sapolsky's arrival. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Determined:_A_Science_of_Life_Without_Free_Will
All you have to do is check on who funded that creepster or who owns his publisher. Email him to inform him how his own ancestors failed epically to raise a normal human being with a conscience.
Wow. They can't help themselves. Presumably this clown inherited a biological imperative to write twaddle.
This is nothing new. E.O. Wilson wrote about this in "Sociobiology" back in the 70's.
Love this! I need to read more Poe.
Related to this theme is Oscar Wilde's The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Whether it's called Karma or conscience; "What goes around comes around" or "You reap what you sow" all behaviors have consequences.
Wow! Quite an exposition...We were taught, correctly, that Poe's alleged drunkenness was simply a vile calumny by a certain rival, after his mysterious death...But Poe's achievements, which included inventing the mystery story as a form of art in The Purloined Letter, were amazing..He even anticipated the theory of relativity...and as you discuss, his understanding of the human psyche was far ahead of his time....,Such a brilliant man, who died too young....
Brilliant Cynthia
I have enjoyed reading/watching both you and Matthew and tying into a little art history.
Here are some notes from dAda mUse’s recent showing of Goya’s Los Caprichos meets Dali’s Les Caprices. www.dadamuse.com.au that tie in with your Poe analysis and Goya imagery.
When Goya meets Dali - Goya or the hard way to enlightenment!
Goya depicted subjects in his Los Caprichos series of 80 aquatint etchings in 1799 - described by him as “from the multitude of follies and blunders common in every civil society, as well as from the vulgar prejudices and lies authorized by custom, ignorance or interest, those that he has thought most suitable matter for ridicule.” Ironically, published in a liquor store across the road from his house on the Street of Disillusionment (Calle del Desengano)!
Not surprising that Dali would choose a surrealism take on Goya’s theme (done in 1978) with many rhymes evident in modern society, depicting "the innumerable foibles and follies to be found in any civilized society, and from the common prejudices and deceitful practices which custom, ignorance or self-interest have made usual.”
In Capricho 6 Goya proclaims “Nobody knows himself”, saying “The world is a masquerade. Face, dress and voice, all are false. All wish to appear what they are not, all deceive and do not even know themselves.” Dali’s clever title “Apart from the salivary glands” reflecting our avaricious desires.
Plate 43 (which Cynthia depicts) is the most iconic print from the series, and Goya had intended this to be his opening plate – being a disguised self-portrait suffering ‘diabolic visions of his anguished brain’ – “The sleep of reason produces monsters”. The age of enlightenment would proclaim its values that - without reason, evil and corruption prevail. But the message from Goya was deeper – his caption for the print saying “Imagination abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters; united with her, she is the mother of the arts and source of their wonders.”
Much like the surrealists to come Goya believed art to be the child of a marriage between reason and imagination and that imagination should never be completely renounced in favour of the strictly rational. Suppression of creativity is a hallmark of stepping towards totalitarianism. Fascism is the outcome of such renunciation of imagination and therefore arts in favour of strict rationality. Fascism as Hayek highlighted in the Road to Serfdom being "the inevitable consequence of socialism" (as opposed to a reaction to it).
As Cynthia describes free choice is our decision to determine what our relationship is to our conscience. Utilitarians (collectivism) freely disengage from morals and conscience in their pursuit/exercise of power - Moral disengagement. The image to plate 43 and its caption were inspired by a title page to a 1793 edition of Rousseau’s "Philosophie", whose texts were then anathema to both Crown and Church. In Goya's time in Spanish tradition whooping owls were not associated with wisdom but brainless stupidity!
Plate 80 “It is time” concludes on a diabolical note – "tocsin (alarm bell) call to awaken at the last split second of a nightmare’s hold". After all this was all just a disordered imagination. “When the brain is hurt by an accident, or the mind disordered by dreams or sickness, the fancy is overrun with wild dismal ideas, and terrified with a thousand hideous monsters of it’s own framing”
This passage translated by Goya’s friend Jose Luis Munarriz from Joseph Addisons spectator essay of 1712 “On the pleasures of imagination” may well have been a chief literary source of Goya’s series of caprices.
Not guilty by reason of insanity!
How so? Because the reason, the causality, remained undiscovered, was seen as undiscoverable.
Insane but guilty could not stand with the scientists, who could never admit a reality that could not be measured, nor conclude that there could ever be accountability for the unmeasurable.
Great article! A keeper. Very deep and important insights, profitable and well worth the price of a subscription in and of itself. I'm all in. Thank you very much...
Good stuff.
Μέλλοντα Ταῦτα, if you're looking it up on Tufts.
"the reader must decide for themselves what to do with this."
himself
Interesting timing.... our audiobook version of his compilation of Tales - Horror and Death just came out if anyone wants a listen. Was very interesting as this post notes.
https://adultbrain.ca/the-works-of-edgar-allan-poe-volume-6-tales-of-horror-and-death/
On spotify too. https://open.spotify.com/show/5sRLxQV57xF2T023agzSmZ
"....Gall made the claim that moral and intellectual faculties that governed impulses were innate. In other words, people were born with their moral character and intelligence. For example, if you were a thief, it was because you were born with a predisposition to an impulse of deceitfulness...." < how so: if thievery can be seen as immoral (let's take the Ten Commandments as a crude guide to moral behaviour), this would mean one could possibly also be born with immoral and non-intellectual faculties. talking about anything 'innate": look at how young children act and interact. phrenology really goes the way of eugenics, doesn't it....
I've got a great book collection and his works on my shelf. Thanks for pushing me to read his real message. By the way, have you heard of Iceisnice Odysee with Dmytry Oulox? What an update and he spares no words on conflicts, the players and what's all on the table now with Russia/China alliance and that they know the west is descending, weak and will now have to focus on the problems at home as they have nothing left to fight anyone abroad because of their greed. Would love to know your thoughts.
Interesting figure, corresponded with Dickens I believe. Possibly managed our perceptions of criminology as a science or séance.
Cheers.
this is now on the Minds platform
https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/1596898346436399113?referrer=flyingaxblade