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Arts
| Quote | Source | Page | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| A work of art is an attempt to experience the universe as a whole. One cannot analyze or dissect it into parts and comment on it without destroying its intrinsic character. | Epistemological Problems of Economics | p. 136 | Arts |
| Art is nothing more than a faltering and inadequate attempt to express what has been thus experienced and to give some form to its content. The work of art captures not the experience, but only what its creator has been able to express of the experience. | Epistemological Problems of Economics | p. 45 | Arts |
| It is a hopeless task to interpret a symphony, a painting, or a novel. The interpreter at best tries to tell us something about his reaction to the work. He cannot tell us with certainty what the creator's meaning was or what other people may see in it. Even if the creator himself provides a commentary on his work, as in the case of program-music, this uncertainty remains. There are no words to describe the ineffable. | Theory and History | p. 276 | Arts |
| Only stilted pedants can conceive the idea that there are absolute norms to tell what is beautiful and what is not. They try to derive from the works of the past a code of rules with which, as they fancy, the writers and artists of the future should comply. But the genius does not cooperate with the pundit. | Theory and History | p. 63 | Arts |
| The enjoyment of art and literature presupposes a certain disposition and susceptibility on the part of the public. Taste is inborn to only a few. Others must cultivate their aptitude for enjoyment. | Theory and History | p. 63 | Arts |
| The most primitive work of art also can express the strongest experience, and it speaks to us, if only we let it. | Epistemological Problems of Economics | p. 46 | Arts |
| There can be no freedom in art and literature where the government determines who shall create them. | Omnipotent Government | p. 52 | Arts |
| There has never been an era in which the many were prepared to do justice to contemporary art. Reverence to the great authors and artists has always been limited to small groups. | The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality | p. 79 | Arts |
| Under capitalism, material success depends on the appreciation of a mans achievements on the part of the sovereign consumers. In this regard there is no difference between the services rendered by a manufacturer and those rendered by a producer, an actor or a playwright. | The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality | p. 31 | Arts |
| What characterizes capitalism is not the bad taste of the crowds, but the fact that these crowds, made prosperous by capitalism, became consumers of literature of course, of trashy literature. The book market is flooded by a downpour of trivial fiction for the semibarbarians. But this does not prevent great authors from creating imperishable works. | The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality | p. 79 | Arts |