CYCLE FOUR

1. If art, literature, sculpture, and music can be pursued on either a sensual or a sensible basis, as I have argued, then it must follow that criteria of hierarchical evaluation regarding the principal art forms will differ according to whether they are demonstrably 'once born' or 're-born', outer or inner, in the manner described.

2. Hence we should have no difficulty in establishing that predominantly sensual manifestations of these art forms will reflect heathenistic criteria of evaluation, whereas their sensible counterparts will reflect Christian criteria, in due 're-born' vein.

3. Because the elements follow a descending hierarchy, based on their degree of sensuality, from fire to air via water and vegetation in 'once born', or heathenistic, mode, we may hold that the hierarchical order of art forms will reflect this descent when they are recognizably sensual, in consequence of which art (painting) will be adjudged the highest art form, literature the second highest, sculpture the third highest or, rather, second lowest art-form, and music the lowest, as we proceed, in primary fashion, from fire to water and, in secondary fashion, from vegetation to air.

4. Conversely, because the elements follow an ascending hierarchy, based on their degree of sensibility, from fire to air via water and vegetation in 're-born', or Christian, mode, we may hold that the hierarchical order of art forms will reflect this ascent when they are recognizably sensible, in consequence of which art (painting) will be adjudged the lowest art form, literature the second lowest, sculpture the third lowest or, rather, second highest art-form, and music the highest, as we proceed, in secondary vein, from fire to water, and, in primary vein, from vegetation to air.

5. Thus whether painting, for example, be adjudged a first- or a fourth-rate art form will depend on whether it is recognizably sensual, and heathenistic, or sensible, and Christian, since in the one case it will approximate to the eyes, whereas in the other case its approximation will be to the heart.

6. Likewise, whether literature be adjudged a second- or a third-rate art form will depend on whether it is recognizably sensual, and 'once born', or sensible, and 're-born', since in the one case it will approximate to the tongue, whereas in the other case its approximation will be to the womb.

7. Similarly, whether sculpture be adjudged a third- or a second-rate art form will depend on whether it is recognizably sensual, and heathenistic, or sensible, and Christian, since in the one case it will approximate to the flesh (of which the phallus is effective cynosure), whereas in the other case its approximation will be to the brain.

8. Finally, whether music be adjudged a fourth- or a first-rate art form will depend on whether it is recognizably sensual, and 'once born', or sensible, and 're-born', since in the one case it will approximate to the ears, whereas in the other case its approximation will be to the lungs.

9. Now, as I have already argued in earlier texts, the senses or, more correctly, sensualities (of outer sense) reflect a hierarchy in which the eyes dominate the ears 'up above', on the noumenal planes of Space and Time, whereas 'down below', on the phenomenal planes of Volume and Mass, the tongue dominates the phallic flesh.

10. Hence, with art corresponding, through its fiery correlation, to the eyes, and music corresponding, through its airy correlation, to the ears, there can be no question that, where noumenal sensuality is concerned, art pulls rank on music, pretty much, I have to say, as the Devil on God, or Hell on Heaven.

11. Likewise, with literature corresponding, through its watery correlation, to the tongue, and sculpture corresponding, through its vegetative correlation, to the flesh, there can be no question that, where phenomenal sensuality is concerned, literature pulls rank on sculpture, pretty much, it has to be said, as woman on man, or purgatory on the earth.

12. Hence, not only does art dominate music and literature dominate sculpture in sensuality, but art and literature, corresponding to the objective elements (of fire and water) will take primary precedence over sculpture and music, confining both to third- and fourth-rate positions, respectively, in the overall hierarchy of the Arts.

13. Again, as I have argued in earlier texts, the sensibilities (of inner sense) reflect a hierarchy in which the lungs dominate or, rather, transcend the heart 'up above', on the noumenal planes of Space and Time, whereas 'down below', on the phenomenal planes of Volume and Mass, the brain transcends the womb.

14. Hence, with music corresponding, through its airy correlation, to the lungs, and art corresponding, through its fiery correlation, to the heart, there can be no doubt that, where noumenal sensibility is concerned, music transcends art, pretty much, I have to say, as God transcends the Devil, or Heaven transcends Hell.

15. Similarly, with sculpture corresponding, through its vegetative correlation, to the brain, and literature corresponding, through its watery correlation, to the womb, there can be no question that, where phenomenal sensibility is concerned, sculpture transcends literature, pretty much, it has to be said, as man transcends woman, or the earth transcends purgatory.

16. Hence not only does music transcend art and sculpture transcend literature in sensibility, but music and sculpture, corresponding to the subjective elements (of air and vegetation), will take primary precedence over art and literature, confining both to fourth- and third-rate positions, respectively, in the overall hierarchy of the Arts.

17. There can be no shadow of a doubt that sensuality favours a female-oriented hierarchy of the Arts, in complete contrast to the male-oriented hierarchy of the Arts that accrues to the pursuit, in 're-born', or Christian, terms, of creative sensibility.

18. In the one case, that of the Arts treated sensuously, the Devil rules in painterly form, whereas in the other case, that of the Arts treated sensibly, God leads in musical form or, more correctly, content.

19. On the one hand, the Devil rules woman, who governs man, who effectively renounces God. On the other hand, God leads man, who transcends woman, who effectively renounces the Devil. And this, despite the inclusion (in radically 'bovaryized' guises) of both music and art respectively.

20. Really, where the distinction between form and content is concerned, we are dealing with appearance and essence, the antipodes of creative endeavour, and have to distinguish, furthermore, between apparent form and quantitative form on the one hand, and qualitative content and essential content on the other hand.

21. Hence, regarded collectively, the Arts range from apparent form to essential content via quantitative form and qualitative content, as from art to music via literature and sculpture, though never more so than when each of them is in its per se manifestation, and therefore either sensual in relation to fire and water or sensible in relation to vegetation and air, as regarding art and literature on the one hand, but sculpture and music on the other. For it has to be admitted that each of the Arts can be pursued in 'bovaryized' terms as well as in its most appropriate manifestation.

22. Hence I am contending that art and literature are only in their per se manifestations in sensuality, where they are respectively first- and second-rate art forms, but that in sensibility they become 'bovaryized' as respectively fourth- and third-rate art forms.

23. Likewise, I am contending that sculpture and music are only in their per se manifestations in sensibility, where they are respectively second- and first-rate art forms, but that in sensuality they become 'bovaryized' as respectively third- and fourth-rate art forms.

24. Strictly speaking, 'art form' is not the term to apply to sculpture and music in their per se, or most authentic, manifestations, since it is then that content is uppermost in due subjective vein.

25. Similarly, 'art form' is hardly the most appropriate term to apply to art and literature in their 'bovaryized', or most inauthentic, manifestations, since it is content which is then uppermost in due subjective vein.