Quote:
Originally Posted by jammies
Not being able to define the "true" value of music doesn't mean that false values cannot be discarded. There can be multiple valid and different opinions about something without ALL opinions being valid.
It is a mistake to think that because you cannot definitively choose criteria by which to judge a thing's quality, all judgments are equal. There is such a thing as "informed" opinion and "uninformed" opinion. If I want to buy a "good" car, for example, should I consult my friend the mechanic, or my friend the fashion designer? Surely "good" is subjective, but unless I am only interested in the appearance of the car, the mechanic's opinion is the one that any reasonable person would trust if forced to choose between the two.
In music, "good" is similarly a fuzzy value, but the opinion of a trained musician, critic, or serious student has far more value than your average person on the street. Consensus amongst informed opinion is a good indicator of where truth likely lies; consensus among the uninformed means nothing.
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wow, outstanding post. Thanking it simply wasn't enough. Love the notion of 'informed opinion' as a measure of aesthetic value as one way of undercutting the relativist or populist position. I will be sure to use it next time I get into this kind of a discussion.