Philosophy in Progress

Share this post

In Praise of the Useless

williamfvallicella.substack.com

In Praise of the Useless

The worldly hustle is for the sake of contemplative repose.

William F. Vallicella
Dec 2, 2022
Share this post

In Praise of the Useless

williamfvallicella.substack.com

Morris R. Cohen, A Preface to Logic (Dover, 1977, originally published in 1944), p. 186, emphasis added:

It would certainly be absurd to suppose that the appreciation of art should justify itself by practical applications. If the vision of beauty is its own excuse for being, why should not the vision of truth be so regarded? Indeed is it not true that all useful things acquire their value because they minister to things which are not useful, but are ends in themselves? Utility is not the end of life but a means to good living, of which the exercise of our diverse energies is the substance.

Or as I like to say, the worldly hustle is for the sake of contemplative repose, it being well understood that such repose can be quite active, an "exercise of our diverse energies," but for non-utilitarian ends.

Morris Cohen
Share this post

In Praise of the Useless

williamfvallicella.substack.com
TopNew

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 William F. Vallicella
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing