Hume’s Aesthetics: Subjectivity in Art

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Table of Contents

Hume’s View on Art
Main body
Conclusion
Reference

Hume’s View on Art

David Hume, a Scottish philosopher and historian, developed a theory of aesthetics that takes art and standards of taste in mind. His theory revolves around the thought that art is a subjective concept that depends on individual preferences and experiences (Hume, 2022). Thus, Hume argued that there are no objective standards by which one is to judge the quality of art.

Main body

In his works, Hume put forward the idea that beauty is not a property of things in themselves, but is determined purely by our feelings and sensations. Hume states that our aesthetic perception largely depends on our experience and upbringing, which shape our taste (Hume, 2022). Thus, Hume did not adhere to the view that some people have more refined aesthetic feelings than others. He believed that taste and the ability to perceive art are shaped throughout one’s life and can change depending on experience.

However, despite claiming that standards of taste are subjective, Hume also acknowledged that there are commonly accepted standards that define what is considered beautiful and aesthetic in a given culture. He argued that these standards are formed through socialization and cultural upbringing and that they may differ in different cultures.

Conclusion

Thus, we can say that Hume believed that the question of what is beautiful and aesthetic depends primarily on cultural, social, and individual factors. He did not deny that some people may have a more sophisticated taste and more refined aesthetic feelings, but he did not believe that this was an inborn characteristic of specific individuals but rather depends on their life experience and cultural context in which they grew up. According to Hume, the assessment of art should be based on personal preferences and taste, rather than on objective criteria (Hume, 2022). Therefore, Hume did not consider people who have a more acute perception of art to be snobs. He rather believed that everyone has the right to their subjective opinion and preferences.

Reference

Hume, D. (2022). Of the Standard of taste. DigiCat.

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Hume’s Aesthetics: Subjectivity in Art

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