Intro
In this episode of “Philosophize This!”, host Stephen West explores the ideas of renowned cultural critic Susan Sontag and her views on the nature of criticism, psychoanalysis, and the interpretation of art. Sontag’s refusal to conform to societal norms and her commitment to standing up against the status quo make her a fascinating figure to study.
Main Takeaways
Standing up to the Status Quo
- Susan Sontag was a cultural critic of the highest order who refused to bow to anyone.
- To critique culture in a meaningful way, you have to stand in opposition to the status quo.
- Simone V was the type of person who impressed by force and embodied the spirit of standing up to the way things were.
- Susan Sontag respected Simone V because she wasn’t satisfied just being a typical voice of reason and gave her life to stand up to the way things were.
- Susan Sontag believed that in order to arrive at the truth, each of our truths must have a martyr.
The Dangers of Psychoanalysis
- Americans use psychological terms to categorize and interpret their experiences of the world.
- Modernity is characterized by domination through analysis, projecting theories onto the world and attempting to understand it.
- Psychoanalysis demystifies intense experiences, but it also categorizes and analyzes them, leading to a feeling of superiority over what was not understood before.
- Sontag encourages us to take a closer look at how we treat our experiences when we engage in this sort of analysis.
- Psychoanalysts provide patients with normative theoretical terms to frame their unique individual experiences to correspond with some standard of human experience.
- The modern assumption is that the real meaning of your experience is hidden from you, and only the analyst can tell you who you truly are and why you’re acting that way.
- Constantly analyzing your experience can lead to alienation from it, and people often live their lives in this place of alienation, constantly keeping their experience at arm’s length and never really feeling it with any sort of immediacy.
- When you’re in this place, your entire surface-level experience and behavior become depreciated in value, and it becomes a built-in obsolescence.
- Psychoanalysis was supposed to lead people in theory to greater and greater levels of self-actualization, but in reality, sometimes it’s moving us further away from our experiences.
- Focusing too much on analyzing experiences through a theory can create distance between ourselves and our experiences.
- This can lead to dismissing experiences and rationalizing them away with theoretical analysis.
- Categorizing human experience through normative standardizing language can cause us to miss out on important experiences.
- Psychoanalysis puts a lot of power in the hands of the psychoanalysts, which can be dangerous.
- Susan Sontag is not against psychoanalysis but is concerned about the ability for someone to steer too much in that direction when it comes to their experience.
- Sontag is not against psychoanalysis but is concerned about over-analyzing experiences.
- Psychoanalysis may give people tools to not be affected by their country’s past, which is not always beneficial.
- Over-emphasizing analysis creates a normative model for human experience and puts power in the hands of experts.
- It also alienates people from their experience and allows for the dismissal of important experiences.
The Interpretation of Art
- Sontag applies her critique to the world of aesthetics and argues that over-emphasizing interpretation prevents us from experiencing art in its true form.
- The modern idea of analyzing art for its deeper meaning is similar to the relationship between patient and psychoanalyst.
- Art critics seek superiority over the work of art and use it to make statements about all works of art in general.
- NWA’s music was a response to police brutality in the late 1980s.
- Critics can interpret the meaning of a song and dismiss it of further meaning or aesthetic experiences.
- Susan Sontag thinks it’s possible to experience works of art without always interpreting them.
- The meaning of the artwork wasn’t to be interpreted in ancient times; it was more in line with contemplative practice.
- Interpreting a work of art creates a distance between you and the art that prevents you from feeling truly affected by it.
- Interpreting art creates a distance between the viewer and the art, preventing true emotional connection.
- Art critics impose a theory of art onto all works of art, limiting their potential meanings.
- Works of art are always interpreted from the perspective of the status quo and how they relate to it.
- The obsession with interpreting hidden meanings within art can perpetuate the status quo and biases of the art critic.
- Susan Sontag proposes an “erotic of art” as a different way of experiencing a work of art that doesn’t undermine it.
- Susan Sontag proposes an “erotic of art” as a way to experience art that doesn’t undermine it.
- To be a good critic of art, we need to move away from epistemological questions and ask more ontological questions about the work of art.
- Instead of focusing solely on the content of a work of art, we should try to focus on the form of the artwork.
- The style of a piece of artwork changes the experience of the person that’s receiving it.
- Form and style become the new main point of focus when experiencing art from this different perspective.
- Critics tend to favor content over form and style, but a new type of critic is needed to focus on the experience of art.
- The aim of commentary on art should be to make works of art and our own experience more real, rather than less.
- This immediate experience of art allows for a richer, less filtered experience and embraces the complexity and multiple meanings of the art.
- The best kind of art is sometimes incomplete, open-ended, and can only be properly received by experiencing it in person.
- Just as art doesn’t need to be a completed work under museum glass, we don’t need to be a completed work waiting to be analyzed and prescribed by experts. We should embrace intense experiences to get closer to the truth.
The Importance of Marginalized Voices
- Critics often silence marginalized voices to preserve the normative middle ground.
- The voices we need to hear the most are the marginalized ones.
- Simone Vay is an example of a marginalized voice.
- We need more voices that seem a little unreasonable.
- Susan Sontag never trusts novels that fully satisfy her passion to understand.
Summary
Susan Sontag’s Critique of Culture and Psychoanalysis
Susan Sontag, a cultural critic known for her refusal to conform, offers thought-provoking insights into the nature of criticism and psychoanalysis. She believes that in order to critique culture meaningfully, one must stand in opposition to the status quo. Sontag criticizes the overemphasis on psychoanalysis, which she argues can lead to alienation from one’s own experiences and the dismissal of important experiences. She raises concerns about the power dynamics within psychoanalysis and the tendency to impose normative standards on individual experiences. Sontag also applies her critique to the interpretation of art, suggesting that the obsession with finding hidden meanings can prevent true emotional connection and limit the potential richness of the art. She proposes an alternative approach, focusing on the form and style of the artwork to embrace its complexity and multiple meanings. Additionally, Sontag highlights the importance of marginalized voices and the need to listen to those that challenge the normative middle ground.
Conclusion
Susan Sontag’s ideas challenge conventional ways of thinking about criticism, psychoanalysis, and the interpretation of art. By standing up to the status quo and embracing intense experiences, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. It is crucial to question the power dynamics within psychoanalysis and the tendency to impose normative standards on individual experiences. Furthermore, Sontag encourages us to approach art with an open mind, focusing on its form and style to fully appreciate its complexity and multiple meanings. By amplifying marginalized voices, we can gain new perspectives and challenge the status quo. Ultimately, Sontag’s insights inspire us to embrace the richness of our experiences and strive for a more authentic understanding of ourselves and the world.
