Another fragment from the Iowa talk

When I offer value judgments, juicios de valor, about particular poems, musical performances, or paintings, I do so not in order to impose my judgments on you, but rather because my reactions lead me to a certain kind of critical insight that would otherwise be unavailable to me. I’m hoping the insight will still be intellectually stimulating even for those who might disagree with the underlying value judgment.

I think of my aesthetic sensibility as a kind of barometer that I can consult when reaching for other kinds of information. While it is hard for me to imagine that people don't agree with me at all times on every judgment, they might occasionally do so. So that is a useful hedge or bandaid for that problem. You don't have to agree with me, but look at what I discovered by holding that supposition.