[ExI] Objective standards?/was Re: silly 'rules'

[spike]

> On Sat, Sep 26, 2015 at 2:18 AM, Giulio Prisco <giulio at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Why do we need "objective standards" at all? What's wrong with 
>> subjective standards? 

We already have excellent objective standards in literature: sales receipts.
We already judge literature by that objective and most useful measure.  By
that standard, Shakespeare might be the champion for we have a local
Shakespeare festival annually and it is well attended.  Those are a hoot.
We also have a Steinbeck festival, but those tend to be smaller and shorter,
with only the local hardcore fans in attendance.

It isn't clear if the attendance at celebrations of one's life work is a
subjective or objective standard, but we could perhaps make it both.  The
objective standard would be a measure of how much money changes hands.
Subjective standard would be estimating the influence of the literature
after publication.

>> Yes, we can develop scholarly theories of comparatively aesthetics 
>> and all that, and some people like to do that. I prefer to consider 
>> my, and others', standards and values as a given.

Hey perhaps there is a way to objectivize all our subjective standards.  We
have developed all these wonderful mathematical techniques.  There should be
a way.  You have given me something to ponder.

spike