Conversations - Beauty, morals and racism

From the previous post about Chinese beauty arose a very interesting conversation. We are both happy that we can discuss about everything and challenge each other to think. Intellectual ‘battles’ are always interesting. So, there certainly will come out more in the future.


It might appear that there are some logical jumps, but that’s 1. msn for you and 2. we understand what the other implies. There is also lack of emotion in the script, but there certainly existed during the conversation. After all, we post this mainly because we want to remember it; it’s for us. Don’t get overworked trying to figure out things, hihi. Ask, if you want. Your opinions are welcome. J (N stands for Neko, K for Kitsune- foxy lady will be used for independent articles.)

Round 1

N :.... if only you knew more about China

K: What do you mean?

N: You'd find out that they don't know that much about beauty...

K:  Look, Nazi listened to Schubert but killed cruelly. This is one thing, the other is another thing. But as a language, they have plenty words describing very tiny differences of this idea. That means that they needed to express themselves this way. That’s why they created these words. They did have an obsession about beauty. I can't say for today much though.

N: Well... From what I hear from a friend of mine, they are one of the most fanatic, sovinistic nations in the world, so... hard to find much beauty...

K: Well, I referred to aesthetics not morals and ideals, honey. It's the same with Japanese. They are twisted, racists etc but certain things about their culture are beautiful. Beauty grows in the same place where ugliness grows. People are good AND bad. And overgeneralising...isn't it a kind of racism by itself?

N: What? Not liking a very fanatic culture? Nuuuuh. I don't believe people are born a way, but made a way.

K: It's both. Genetics and environment.

N: Well, I think that to some extent, morals and art come together.

K: I don't think so. Just think advertising. It has a part of art but it's used to lure and often to deceive. It isn't moral. It’s just the way it is. It is used to serve certain purposes inside a capitalistic society. Also, an artist who produces a painting may have slept with many women and dumped them afterwards. Is it moral? Apart from this what is right and what is wrong, isn't it something subjective?

N: An ad does not deceive. It proposes a thing it represents, makes you buy, so you will take something to satisfy your desire and thus makes both you and the salesman happy. It sounds cool to me.

K: Yeah sure... So all the things an ad says about a product are the bare truth? But you haven't answered seriously to all the questions.

N: Well, not always. But it's not a lie either. When I refer to morality, I refer to the morality of the environment itself. A moral value may be the desire to help the people around you, your family, respect your coworkers, etc. People can't be perfect, but the artist sure has some moral value to make up for the loss of it.

K: Yes. It may be also not to hurt others, not use others as well. You have very high ideals. An artist is human after all.

N: Nuh, not so high ideals.

K: Verlaine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Verlaine) was moral? Who beat his woman and cheated her with the other young poet?

N: Hm. He had morality on other parts of his life, I think. I can't recall the whole movie though.

K: He helped the young artist, for example. But don't Chinese have other good morals? People aren't black and white. All the greys, yes.

N: ....hm, not sure I can consider much of their stuff as moral. But I don't know their culture that much. The sovinistic part takes me away from it in half of a second.

K: So you say that there isn't a single Chinese who may take care of a wounded dog or a single artist that was a dumbass?

N: Didn't say that.... I think I was very clear right here.  I don't know their culture that much.  The sovinistic part takes me away from it in half of a second.

K: I understand, but you should also be able to understand to distinguish things. It’s good to see the whole picture yet learn to appreciate and judge things separately. And also the whole is consisted from units, individuals, so saying something like this is like saying that all Americans are idiots, so nothing about American culture might be good.

N: WE ARE NOT!

K: See?

N: Foxie just kicked my ass *blush*

K: When it's you that is concerned you think twice *wink*

Stay tuned! :D