Why do artistic pursuits constitute practice in physical cognition as opposed to social cognition? It seems obvious to me that artistic pursuits are (among other things) a type of status signaling, so I’m confused why you’re contrasting the two
Artistic pursuits involve a synthesis of physical and social cognition. (This is essential to their nature and is what makes them special among human activities.) There is certainly a social aspect, but it’s crucial that that isn’t all there is. That there is also a physical aspect is also pretty obvious, if you consider what is involved in playing an instrument, for example—but importantly, it goes beyond that, to encompass the ways one thinks about something like music (in terms of motion, as well as ideas like connectedness, and so on).
Generally speaking, whenever we think of something as being “technical”, we’re talking about the involvement of physical cognition. Art is social, yes, but it is also highly technical.
Many people, unfortunately, underappreciate the physical, or technical, side of artistic thought. This is what I was warning against in my comments on Otium.
The amount of talent, time, and effort needed to achieve recognition or a feeling of accomplishment seem too high, compared to other possible pursuits.
This is actually not really true, but it’s understandable that you might perceive it that way. Even so, the time and effort are part of the point: anything fulfilling this role has to involve extensive amounts of interaction with the objects or processes in question.
Generally speaking, whenever we think of something as being “technical”, we’re talking about the involvement of physical cognition. Art is social, yes, but it is also highly technical.
For certain arts—e.g. music—this is true (in the sense in which I understand “physical cognition”—the body is intimately involved). But a counter-example would be something like digital art where your tools are on Photoshop palettes. The physical skill involved is moving a mouse and I don’t think this qualifies. And yet, digital art is highly “technical”.
Generally speaking, whenever we think of something as being “technical”, we’re talking about the involvement of physical cognition. Art is social, yes, but it is also highly technical.
(in the sense in which I understand “physical cognition”—the body is intimately involved
That is not what I meant—as the excerpt you quoted was intended to communicate.
Musical composition is one of the archetypal instances of a physical-cognition-loaded activity (in the sense that I mean), and yet there your physical tools are a pencil/pen and paper (or, sometimes, indeed, a mouse).
These programs seem to have been disfavored by history’s great scientific innovators, who tend to make statements like “I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble...” or “What do you care what other people think”, which sound like endorsements of physical over social cognition.
For some reason, it’s not overly surprising to me that both Isaac Newton and Richard Feynman would directly endorse physical cognition—what with them being natural philosophers/physicists. It’s less clear however that such “physical cognition” is directly relevant to e.g. music composition, except inasmuch as both physics and music composition are linked to self-actualization—as opposed to ‘mere’ love, belonging and self-esteem, which (if pursued in excess, due to a lack of “self-actualizing” pursuits) might “lead[] to increased unethical behavior” or “produce anti-social narcissism” according to the essay you link to.
Artistic pursuits involve a synthesis of physical and social cognition. (This is essential to their nature and is what makes them special among human activities.) There is certainly a social aspect, but it’s crucial that that isn’t all there is. That there is also a physical aspect is also pretty obvious, if you consider what is involved in playing an instrument, for example—but importantly, it goes beyond that, to encompass the ways one thinks about something like music (in terms of motion, as well as ideas like connectedness, and so on).
Generally speaking, whenever we think of something as being “technical”, we’re talking about the involvement of physical cognition. Art is social, yes, but it is also highly technical.
Many people, unfortunately, underappreciate the physical, or technical, side of artistic thought. This is what I was warning against in my comments on Otium.
This is actually not really true, but it’s understandable that you might perceive it that way. Even so, the time and effort are part of the point: anything fulfilling this role has to involve extensive amounts of interaction with the objects or processes in question.
For certain arts—e.g. music—this is true (in the sense in which I understand “physical cognition”—the body is intimately involved). But a counter-example would be something like digital art where your tools are on Photoshop palettes. The physical skill involved is moving a mouse and I don’t think this qualifies. And yet, digital art is highly “technical”.
That is not what I meant—as the excerpt you quoted was intended to communicate.
Musical composition is one of the archetypal instances of a physical-cognition-loaded activity (in the sense that I mean), and yet there your physical tools are a pencil/pen and paper (or, sometimes, indeed, a mouse).
So what do you mean, then? I don’t understand what “physical cognition” in this context points to. What is the word “physical” doing in there?
It failed.
See here. (This was linked in the original comment...)
Sorry, still don’t understand it. gjm has a fairly detailed list of complaints and I concur with them.
Do you think you use the term physical cognition in the way it’s used in the literature? Or do you think you use it in a different way?
“The literature” that is relevant here consists of Michael Vassar’s 2013 Edge essay.
It’s relevant in the way that it doesn’t use the term “physical cognition”?
From the fourth paragraph:
For some reason, it’s not overly surprising to me that both Isaac Newton and Richard Feynman would directly endorse physical cognition—what with them being natural philosophers/physicists. It’s less clear however that such “physical cognition” is directly relevant to e.g. music composition, except inasmuch as both physics and music composition are linked to self-actualization—as opposed to ‘mere’ love, belonging and self-esteem, which (if pursued in excess, due to a lack of “self-actualizing” pursuits) might “lead[] to increased unethical behavior” or “produce anti-social narcissism” according to the essay you link to.