Quote:
Originally Posted by Reckoner
It seems to me that many people see that if someone likes a show, it is simply because of their own value system. Well, that's fine, but what determines the greatness of a work of art then? What does it mean when someone calls a movie "A great American Classic?"
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See the answers in the other thread where you asked the same question. It means that it has been recognized over time as a work of particular value and importance because a large amount of people (possibly experts) selected it as exemplary. In other words, because a lot of people liked it. It's not always due to simple enjoyment; sometimes a work might be educational, it may have been unique, or it have been particularly representative of its time. But a work is called a classic because it's reputation stands over time. When you're living "in the moment" experiencing a work, you can't know whether a work is "a classic" yet, because it's something for future generations to decide. So for us, the more important thing (I think) is finding works we enjoy, "great", "classic", or otherwise.
And yes, most everything is opinion. But recognizing the
weight of that realization is the tough part. If most everything is opinion as a result of value judgements, and each person has their own opinions and values, then you have no reason to necessarily believe that your perspective is better than any one else's, no matter how good you perceive your reasoning to be. We live in a world of greys; very few things are actually "black" or "white". What matters about opinion is, ultimately, the consequence.