What is beautiful: a property of objects or a subjective impression? Does it stem from a logical evaluation or from an immediate and necessary feeling, such as visual or taste sensation? Based on these two diametrically opposed approaches, the development of aesthetic thought is outlined—from the Neo-Classical theories of literature and the visual arts of the 17th century, which establish the objective and rational nature of beauty, to the British theories of taste in the first half of the 18th century, which regard it as a subjective experience rooted in individual feeling.

The steps of the gradual departure from the Neo-Classical dogma of the 17th century are explored, culminating in the ideas of philosophers. Through the investigation of the problem of pleasure derived from beauty and the explanation of taste variability, it is established that, despite their subjective orientation, taste theorists aim to prevent the threat of subjectivism and seek, like their classicist predecessors, objective foundations for constructing a science of beauty.

The three translated and annotated texts by Hume, Burke, and Lord Kames support this position. The book sheds light on the neglected pre-Cantian aesthetic thought, revealing the richness of its debates and contradictions during the transitional period before it developed into an autonomous reflection. It is aimed at philosophers, aestheticians, art historians, and non-specialist readers interested in art and the philosophy of aesthetics.

CONTENTS

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

PART ONE

17TH CENTURY AESTHETIC THEORY

CHAPTER ONE

NEO-CLASSICISM

CHAPTER TWO

THE PHILOSOPHERS' CONTRIBUTION TO THE 17TH CENTURY ART THEORY

PART TWO

THE THEMATIC OF TASTE IN THE AESTHETICS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT

CHAPTER ONE

THE PROBLEM OF AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE

CHAPTER TWO

THE PROBLEM OF THE UNIVERSALITY OF AESTHETIC JUDGMENTS

PART THREE

TEXTS ON TASTE