Mmm, I'm not sure I would say art is found only in objects which are art. That seems to be some sort of infinite regress, paradox or other weirdness!
What do you mean about 'trying to talk about art when I have exactly none to speak of'? Exactly why can't we theorise about the quality that makes the Mona Lisa art? Just because it is difficult to say, you mean? Or is there some other (mystical?) reason?

Why is it that we have the idea car? — shmik

We learn ostensively, learning by examples then constructing a rule (necessary and sufficient conditions) that admits of those examples.

To find your answers you think to yourself 'would I use the word car to describe this'. You don't run through a mental checklist of conditions necessary and sufficient conditions. — shmik

Not consciously maybe, but if knowing a meaning is knowing the rule, then thinking 'would I use the word "car" to describe this' IS comparing your thought to the rule (i.e, a checklist of necessary and sufficient conditions)

Inevitably there will come some pictures which you would use the word chair to describe but don't fit the list of conditions. — shmik

Why would this be so?

Finally how do I understand ideas? If I have some kind of direct way of understanding them what is it about them that allows for it but doesn't allow for a direct way of understanding sentences without ideas as an intermediary? — shmik

I'm confused by this. Can you explain what you mean 'sentences without ideas as an intermediary'?

Some more simple questions. What is the idea behind the meaning of 'hello'? What is the idea of '5723'? — shmik

Hello just expresses the idea of a greeting. 5723 expresses the idea of an integer after 5722. I'm assuming these answers are not what you are after, but I wonder why not?

Pessimism is tricky if you're using it as a descriptor for a worldview because it such a broad, catch all label. I may be pessimistic about the outcome of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election may have on tax reform, but optimistic about the spread of gay rights/marriage equality in Australia for instance. Having said that, we can make some observations on pessimism in general.

One observation that I would make is that IN GENERAL pessimism is unfounded. Now this is entirely speaking in generalities, I understand. Bad things obviously, reliably and regularly. However, can't we say with some certainty that the world is, in general, always improving? Throughout history all the indicators of well being that you could possibly name - wealth, education, access to clean drinking water, medical advancement, life expectancy, likelihood of dying in a non-violent circumstance, gay rights, women's rights, racial equality etc. have advanced steadily upwards in a sawtooth (obviously not quite linearly in all regions, for all people, in all eras but generally speaking). Things just get better and better. Now of course, this may not be true for ever, and indeed we may be on the precipice of a saw tooth downwards before we rise again, but it seems if we take the big picture pessimism has no place.

Like I say, a solution that doesn't result me in reading a bunch of rubbish. :)

One problem is that it takes a pretty special person to read deeply into a philosopher that they think is completely on the wrong track. Personally I have a huge prejudice against continental philosophy and am very dismissive of your Derridas and Heideggers without picking up much by way way of an original source from either. Having said that I am unlikely to film a polemic about them and post to YouTube, I simply don't know their work well.

I suppose we are all a bit guilty of dismissing writers without giving them much of a chance. I am reasonably sure that delving into continental philosophy will not reveal anything to me, yet am profoundly annoyed when others dismiss Sam Harris without actually reading his work. I'm not sure I know of a solution, or one that doesn't result in me reading a bunch of rubbish.

This is a song by a friend of mine about house hunting around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, where we live. The video is shot around that part of town too.

Oh that was easy. So we all know what makes something art but just have trouble articulating it? Do you suggest it is IMPOSSIBLE to articulate?

You maybe don't have to define 'chair' (i.e. articulate its definition) to judge it but you do have to know what a chair is. If you didn't know that a chair was intended to sit on you wouldn't know that a chair that was not good for sitting on would be a bad chair. Same for art. We kinda all know what art is (even if we can't articulate it) and that's how we judge something to be bad art - when it fails that test.

Hey just checking in. I kinda missed the change over as I was taking a bit of time out from PF, so I might be a bit of a silent member for a little while. A big hello to all though, nice to see you.