Bibliography of 18th century theories of taste
The Century of Taste - Bibliography
• Longinus Peri Hypsus. Traité du Sublime et du
Merveilleux dans le Discours traduit du Grec du
Longin, 1674.
• John Locke. An essay concerning human
understanding, 1706.
• Anthony, Earl of Shaftesbury. Characteristics of
men, manners, opinions, times, 1711.
• Francis Hutcheson. An Inquiry into the Original of
our Ideas of Beauty and Virtue, 1725.
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The Century of Taste
The Century of Taste - Bibliography
• David Hume. A treatise on Human Nature, 1739.
• William Hogarth. The Analysis of Beauty, 1753.
• David Hume. Of the Standard of Taste, 1757.
• Edmund Burke. A Philosophical Enquiry into the
Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful,
2nd edition, 1759.
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The Century of Taste - Bibliography
• Alexander Gerard. Essay on Taste, 1759.
• Archibald Alison. Essays on the Nature and
Principles of Taste, 1790.
• Uvedale Price, Essays on the Picturesque, 1794.
• Sir Richard Payne Knight, The Landscape. A
Didactic Poem, 1794.
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The Century of Taste
Francis Hutcheson
David Hume
Edmund Burke
Francis Hutcheson
(1694-1746)
An Inquiry into the Original of our
Ideas of Beauty and Virtue
(1725)
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An Inquiry into the Original of our
Ideas of Virtue and Beauty
- simple ideas vs. complex ideas
-
The only Pleasure of Sense, which our Philosophers seem to
consider, is that which accompanys the simple Ideas of
Sensation: But there are vastly greater Pleasures in those
complex Ideas of Objects, which obtain the Names of Beautiful,
Regular, Harmonious. Thus every one acknowledges he is more
delighted with a fine Face, a just Picture, than with the View of
any one Colour, were it as strong and lively as possible; [...]. So in
Music, the Pleasure of fine Composition is incomparably greater
than that of any Note, how sweet, full or swelling soever. (7)
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An Inquiry into the Original of our
Ideas of Virtue and Beauty
internal sense (of beauty)
- beauty does not lie in the object itself but in a
perceiving mind
- gives pleasure
- pleasure is felt immediately
- independent of will
- independent of knowledge
- independent of advantage or usefulness
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The Century of Taste
An Inquiry into the Original of our
Ideas of Virtue and Beauty
- the beauty of theorems
- people might be able to see but receive relatively little
pleasure out of beautiful sights
- men of genius own a finer taste, have a better
developed internal sense
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The Century of Taste
An Inquiry into the Original of our
Ideas of Virtue and Beauty
Let every one here consider, how different we must suppose the Perception to be,
with which a Poet is transported upon the Prospect of any of those Objects of
natural Beauty, which ravish us even in his Description; from that cold lifeless
Conception which we imagine in a dull Critick, or one of the Virtuosi, without what
we call a fine Taste. This latter Class of Men may have greater Perfection in that
Knowledge, which is deriv´d from external Sensation; they can tell all the specifick
Differences of Trees, Herbs, Minerals, Metals; they know the Form of every Leaf,
Stalk, Root, Flower, and Seed of all the Species, about which the Poet is often
very ignorant: And yet the Poet shall have a vastly more delightful Perception of
the Whole; and not only the Poet but any man of fine Taste. (9-10)
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The Century of Taste
An Inquiry into the Original of our
Ideas of Virtue and Beauty
-
neg. associations can keep people from seeing the
beauty of certain objects
-
common taste, universal agreement
-
internal sense universal
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The Century of Taste
An Inquiry into the Original of our
Ideas of Virtue and Beauty
• uniformity amidst variety
• deformity is “the absence of beauty, or
deficiency in the beauty expected in any
species”
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The Century of Taste
An Inquiry into the Original of our
Ideas of Virtue and Beauty
“If we descend to the minuter Works of Nature, what vast Uniformity
among all the Species of Plants and Vegetables in the manner of their
Growth and Propagation! [...] In the almost infinite Multitude of Leaves,
Fruit, Seed, Flowers of any one Species, we often see an exact
Uniformity in the Structure and Situation of the smallest Fibres. This is
the Beauty which charms an ingenious Botanist. Nay, what vast
Uniformity and Regularity of Figure is found in each particular Plant,
Leaf, or Flower! In all Trees and most of the smaller Plants, the Stalks
or Trunks are either Cylinders nearly, or regular Prisms; the Branches
similar to their several Trunks, arising at nearly regular Distances, when
no Accidents retard their natural Growth [...].” (22-23)
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David Hume
(1711-1776)
Of the Standard of Taste
(1757)
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Of the Standard of Taste
“The great variety of Taste, as well as of opinion,
which prevails in the world, is too obvious not to
have fallen under every one's observation.”
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Of the Standard of Taste
“The great variety of Taste, as well as of
opinion, which prevails in the world, is too
obvious not to have fallen under every one's
observation.”
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Of the Standard of Taste
“It is natural for us to seek a Standard of Taste; a rule,
by which the various sentiments of men may be reconciled;
at least, a decision afforded, confirming one sentiment,
and condemning another.”
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Of the Standard of Taste
“It is natural for us to seek a Standard of Taste; a rule,
by which the various sentiments of men may be reconciled;
at least, a decision afforded, confirming one sentiment,
and condemning another.”
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Of the Standard of Taste
• sentiment = emotions
• sentiment about an object is in everyone of us
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Concept of Hume‘s theory
good critics
agree on
beauties & blemishes
standard of taste
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Good critics I
“Strong sense, united to delicate sentiment, improved
by practice, perfected by comparison, and cleared of
all prejudice, can alone entitle critics to this valuable
character; [...]“
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Good critics II
strong sense/ judgement
delicate sentiment
• practice
• comparison
• no prejudice
valuable character of a good critic
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Good critics III
How will I recognize a good critic?
“Though men of delicate taste be rare, they are easily to
be distinguished in society by the soundness of their
understanding, and the superiority of their faculties
above the rest of mankind.”
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Of the Standard of Taste
good critics
agree on
beauties & blemishes
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Beauties & blemishes I
• belong entirely to the sentiment
 they are feelings
• but: sentiment linked to “certain qualities in objects“
 objective judgement
 universal agreement
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Beauties & blemishes II
• good critics agree on some of them
• examples of possible beauties:
– force of expression
– harmony
– luster of colours
– exactness of imitation ...
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Of the Standard of Taste
beauties & blemishes
standard of taste
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Of the Standard of Taste
• standard of taste = agreed beauties
 not specified by Hume
• objects can consist of various beauties and also of
blemishes
• for an object to be beautiful the beauties have to
predominate
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Of the Standard of Taste
good critics
agree on
beauties & blemishes
standard of taste
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Brief summary
What are the different values of common sentiment
in the philosophical works of Hutcheson and Hume
and what are their implications ?
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How is beauty perceived according to
Hutcheson?
According to Hutcheson common sentiment is...
•
the proof of the universal sense of beauty.
•
triggered by a single principle of beauty
•
caused by uniformity amidst variety, which is sufficient to
explain the beauty of an aesthetic object. (causal)
•
tantamount to positive judgement!
Hume‘s relativism contradicts each of the assumptions above!
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How is beauty perceived according to
Hume?
According to Hume common sentiment is...
•
subjective („it is fruitless to dispute concerning taste“)
•
no proof of a universal sense of beauty.
•
often general but not necessarily universal
•
guided by a plurality of value characteristics. (contributive)
•
not tantamount to positive judgement!
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How is beauty perceived according to
Hume?
„The difference, it is said, is very
wide between judgement and
sentiment!“
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How to find common agreement?
David Hume‘s prerequisites of judgement:
•
objectivity
•
the joint verdict of good critics
•
experience and practice
•
comparison
•
reason (reflected explanations)
•
agreement based on established standards
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Relative ranking of instances of
judgement
The following diagram illustrates three differences:
1. The relative ranking of instances of judgement according to
Hume.
2. The low rank of common sentiment for Hume as opposed to
Hutcheson‘s absolute basis of common sentiment.
3. The difference between sentiment and judgement according to
Hume.
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Relative ranking of David Hume‘s
instances of judgement:
I
Verdict of posterity
II
Joint verdict of true critics
III
Standard of Taste
IV
Common sentiment of
human nature
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Relative ranking of David Hume‘s
instances of judgement:
I
Verdict of posterity
II
Joint verdict of true critics
III
Standard of Taste
IV
Common sentiment of
human nature
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The Century of Taste
Relative ranking of David Hume‘s
instances of judgement:
I
Verdict of posterity
II
Joint verdict of true critics
III
Standard of Taste
IV
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•
subjective and unjustified sentiments.
•
general principles of approbation and blame.
The Century of Taste
Relative ranking of David Hume‘s
instances of judgement:
I
Verdict of posterity
II
Joint verdict of true critics
III
Standard of Taste
IV
Common sentiment of
human nature
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Relative ranking of David Hume‘s
instances of judgement:
I
II
III
IV
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Verdict of posterity
„it is impossible men could ever agree in
their sentiments and judgements, unless
they chose some common point
of view, fromprinciples
which they
might
survey
• Established
and
models.
their object, and which might cause
• Universal
beauties
and to
blemishes
it to appear
the same
all of them.“
Joint verdict of true critics
Common sentiment of
human nature
The Century of Taste
Relative ranking of David Hume‘s
instances of judgement:
I
Verdict of posterity
II
Joint verdict of true critics
III
Standard of Taste
IV
Common sentiment of
human nature
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The Century of Taste
Relative ranking of David Hume‘s
instances of judgement:
I
II
Verdict of posterity
•
normative judgements based on experience
and reasoning.
III
Standard of Taste
IV
Common sentiment of
human nature
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The Century of Taste
Relative ranking of David Hume‘s
instances of judgement:
I
Verdict of posterity
II
Joint verdict of true critics
III
Standard of Taste
IV
Common sentiment of
human nature
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Relative ranking of David Hume‘s
instances of judgement:
I
Durable admiration of works that have survived the
test of time: “all the caprices of mode and fashion.“
II
Joint verdict of true critics
III
Standard of Taste
IV
Common sentiment of
human nature
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Relative ranking of David Hume‘s
instances of judgement:
16.06.2006 [Diagram inferred inter alia fromThe
Century ofinTaste
the Introduction
LENZ, John. (ed.) Of the Standard of
Taste and other essays. (1965) and NORTON, David (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to
Hume. (1993). p. 274 – 277.]
Edmund Burke
(1729-1797)
A philosophical enquiry into the origin
of our ideas of the sublime and
beautiful
(1757)
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
• Burke in contrast to Francis Hutcheson and David
Hume:
– beauty does not exist in our mind, but in the objects
themselves
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
Burke's text A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful: general survey
of passions, properties of things which make objects
either beautiful or sublime and their effect on human
beings
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
Burke’s main assumption for his inquiry:
“And my point in this enquiry is to find whether there
are any principles, on which the imagination is
affected, so common to all, so grounded and certain,
as to supply the means of reasoning satisfactorily
about them. And such principles of Taste, I fancy there
are.”
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
Burke’s main assumption for his inquiry:
“And my point in this enquiry is to find whether there
are any principles, on which the imagination is
affected, so common to all, so grounded and certain,
as to supply the means of reasoning satisfactorily
about them. And such principles of Taste, I fancy
there are.”
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
•
three kinds of passion:
1. pleasure
2. pain
3. state of indifference/delight
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
What is meant by sublime?
“Whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of pain, and
danger, that is to say, whatever is in any sort terrible, or is
conversant with terrible objects, or operates in a manner analogous
to terror, is a source of the sublime. […] When danger or pain press
too nearly, they are incapable of any delight, and are simply terrible;
but at certain distances, and with certain modifications, they may be,
and they are delightful.”
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
What is meant by sublime?
“Whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of pain, and
danger, that is to say, whatever is in any sort terrible, or is
conversant with terrible objects, or operates in a manner analogous
to terror, is a source of the sublime. […] When danger or pain press
too nearly, they are incapable of any delight, and are simply terrible;
but at certain distances, and with certain modifications, they may
be, and they are delightful.”
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
Created feelings when confronted with the sublime
“Astonishment, as I have said, is the effect of the
sublime in its highest degree; the inferior effects are
admiration, reverence and respect.“
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
Created feelings when confronted with the sublime
“Astonishment, as I have said, is the effect of the
sublime in its highest degree; the inferior effects are
admiration, reverence and respect.“
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The Century of Taste
A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
What is meant by beautiful?
“(…) where women and men, and not only they, but
when other animals give us a sense of joy and
pleasure in beholding them”.
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
What is meant by beautiful?
“(…) where women and men, and not only they, but
when other animals give us a sense of joy and
pleasure in beholding them”.
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
Created feelings when confronted with the
beautiful
“By beauty I mean, that quality or those qualities in
bodies by which they cause love, or some passion
similar to it.”
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
Created feelings when confronted with the
beautiful
“By beauty I mean, that quality or those qualities in
bodies by which they cause love, or some passion
similar to it.”
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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of
our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
Objects have certain properties which make
them either sublime or beautiful
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Burke, Enquiry, part 2: The sublime
Which properties of things are sublime?
• Terror
• Obscurity
• Privations: vacuity, darkness, solitude
• Vastness
• Infinity
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Burke, Enquiry, part 2: The sublime
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Burke, Enquiry, part 2: The sublime
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Burke, Enquiry, part 3: Beauty
Which properties of things are beautiful?
• Smallness
• Smoothness
• Gradual Variation
• Delicacy
• Light colours
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Burke, Enquiry, part 3: Beauty
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Burke, Enquiry, part 3: Beauty
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Secondary Literature
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Christopher Hussey, The Picturesque. Studies in a Point of View,
(London, 1983).
Denvir, Bernhard, The Eighteenth Century: Art, Design and Society,
1684-1789, (London & New York, 1983).
Dickie, George, The Century of Taste: The philosophical odyssey of
taste in the eighteenth
century.
(NewinYork,
The texts
treated
our 1996)
presentation are
Jones, Robert W., available
Gender and
Formation
Taste in Eighteenthas the
eTexts
on the of
Internet!
Century Britain, (Cambridge, 1998).
Kivy, Peter (ed.), The Blackwell guide to aesthetics (Malden, 2004).
The respective links are listed on:
Kivy, Peter, The seventh sense: Frances Hutcheson and eighteenth
www.strietholt.de.ms
!
century British aesthetics. (Oxford,
2003).
Norton, David (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Hume. (Cambridge,
1993)
Robert Zimmer, Burke zur Einführung. (Hamburg, 1995).
Sambrook, James, The Eighteenth Century: The intellectual and cultural
context of English literature, 1700-1789, (London & New York, 1986).
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