(no subject)

[arethinn]

thought, paraphrased from someone's journal.

in science, repeating a phenomenon is good. it's called evidence for proving a theory.
in art, repeating a phenomenon is bad. it's called faking, forgery, or a lack of originality.

great! now all we need to know is whether magic is an art or a science!

Comments

[drknexus.livejournal.com]

Didn't you know it is "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will" (Crowley-ian definition). Being a science and an Art being problematic in the "originality" department perhaps - but not really in the 'practice' part, really only in the 'theory' part, and in that only in the publishable theory (as far as I'm concerned). I mean for magick, on a pragmatic level, we are concerned with the utility of our ritual (as well as the warm squishes it gives us [for Earth Magick practiconers], but to a certain degree even that is pragmatic). The originality then only being important (as far as I'm concerned in the publishing, and conceptual aspects. Then it does become an art. Asking 'are you thinking or saying anything new', which becomes a 'there is nothing new under the sun' or 'there haven't been any new plots since Shakespeare/Crowley' problem. There are new ways of expressing things - and occasionally maybe an author will express something very well, or make a complex subject very accessible - that is commendable... then they have made a work of art... the art is the science done well because the science done/explained well [or the converse] (because the science may be considered ineffable).

[tiggrrl.livejournal.com]

Yes, and I would say that as both an art and science that if something is repeated it should have essentially the same results (allowing for variations in conditions), but that you should also be darned well able to come up with something new for a new situation that also works.

[arethinn]

*blinks* Whoa dude, heavy. Too much thinking analysis there, heheh. The post was primarily intended to be amusing. *shrugs*

[dancinglights.livejournal.com]

I tend to think that magic is that place behind the artificial division of experience into art and science, logic and aestheteic.

Then again, I've been reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence while having metaphysical discussions again.