Jeffrey Carduner, Aesthetic Realism consultant, writes:
The reader of “What Value Is—in Art and Life,” is about to experience comprehension that is new: about the importance of finding and seeing authentic value in the world, people, things! Also, this issue is about what in oneself interferes with, in fact, is against, evaluating honestly, truly. And you’re going to have the surprising and wonderful pleasure of learning about the enthusiasm for life and so many things in it, had by William Hazlitt, the great and passionate 19th-century critic. Don’t miss “What Value Is—in Art and Life,” the latest issue of The Right of Aesthetic Realism to Be Known.
The commentary by Ellen Reiss begins:
Dear Unknown Friends:
We begin here to serialize a lecture that is magnificent. It’s magnificent about its subject—literary criticism, art criticism—and magnificent about life. Eli Siegel gave this talk, Hazlitt Tells of Criticism, in 1970.
You’ll see early in the lecture a description of what a true critic is. But I’ll quote it now, for its clarity—and also for its charm and its complete lack of pretentiousness. Mr. Siegel said:
There have been some persons who have had the great responsibility, which they’ve also enjoyed, of wanting to see what was beautiful or good in this world and wanting to know why it was beautiful or good.
Central to Aesthetic Realism
Criticism is central to Aesthetic Realism. One can say that this philosophy arose from Eli Siegel’s respect and love for what authentic criticism is. His essay “The Scientific Criticism” was published in the Modern Quarterly in March 1923, when he was twenty. It begins with his giving this definition: “Criticism is that action of mind whose aim is to get the value of anything; and by value I mean size of power; and this power may be good or bad.” … Read more