Evening star., 1942-04-24
Nazi Philosophers
EstheiicaI Views
Are Declared False
Theory Of No Universal
Scale Of vuIues Assc;Ied
At G. U. Meeting

The Rev. Or. c. A. Hart Of Cath
olic University will be the first
speaker today at the American Con-
Eress on Aesthetics, nov entering it's
second day Of discussions at Cath
olic University.
Or. Hart will speak on The Place
OF the Beautiful In Philosophy" He
will be followed by DR.. Lionello ven-
turi OF the University Of California,
speaking on The Idea Of Abstrsc-
tons In the Visual Arts. DR.. En-
manuel Chapman of Fordham Uni
versity on The Aesthetics of Life
and the Aesthetics OF Death" and
Ernst Krenek. composer. OF vassar
College. on Music Meets Life in
Opera"
Todays meeting begins at 230
pm. At Mcmahon Hall. Sessions
will continue tomorrow at 10 m.
and viii close after an afternoon
session beginning at 2 O'Clock.
Last night the congress heard a
lecture designed 10 show that the
Nszi method OF valuing things that
matter In life, as expounded by some
German writers. Is all wrong.
All Have Esthetic Reactions.
DR.. Carroll C.. Pratt OF Rutgers
University. the speaker, took his au-
dience to an imaginary musical con-
cert TO prove his point.
Aesthetics is something that most
persons don't know much about,
but they experience aesthetic feeling
practically every day without know
ing what to call II. Aesthetics has
to do with beauty, and the common
man gets his aesthetic experience
when he looks at picture he likes
or hears music that appeals 70 him.
whether IL is swing or symphony.
DR.. Pratt recognized that no two
persons or groups OF persons will
like and appreciate everything they
Those likes and dislikes will vary
according to persons needs, en-
vironment, morals and other factors.
Nevertheless, he conteEded, there
are some things that have universal
appeal-that every one. or nesrly
every one, win appreciate.
That, DR.. Pratt said. is the field
where the Nazis are of base. Some
of their philosophical writers said
that the way of life of people Is
simply the result of personal whim
and fortuitious circumstance. There
is no universal scale of values, to
such q people and therefore. as DR..
Pratt put it:
"The only method to defend ones
way Of life is TO fight for ito pull
the trigger first"
Concert Cited as Example.
To prove his case, DR.. Pratt took
the example of a concert. The
qualities In music that produce
melancholy, wistfulness or gayety
are the direct result Of the way
tones ARE put together" he said.
Thus, they viii produce like effect
on many people, regardless OF
whether they like the effect. The
result Is more or less universal
truth as to the esthetic effort OF
music.
Persons who like or dislike a musi-
cal number may find that their
differences are caused by the fact
that they were listening to different
parts, DR.. Pratt said.
For example, one man might listen
to the effect of the string instru-
ments and enjoy 1t, while another
would be attracted to the wood
winds and dislike it. II all listened
TO the same thing. however, their
appreciation ought to be much more
nearly similar" DIR, Pratt argued.
Paper on Pater Read.
DR.. Pratts discussion followed DIR.
Max Schoen of the Carnegie Insti-
tute of Technology, who read a pa
per on the views of Walter Pater,
10Th century English essayist and
philosopher, as to the place OF music
among the arts.
DR.. Schoen concluded that Pater
would call music the highest of the
arts" Music is essentially feeling
full" he said, whereas the materials
of other arts are mainly intel
lectual."
"Since music is organized sound,
the response to IL is an organized
feeling of response, which is also
the definition OF esthetic expert
ence," DR.. Schoen said.