Is there an objective standard of taste?

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In Aesthetics, it is thought that in order to show that a work of art is truly great, it is required that an assessment of aesthetic value must be made (Graham, 2001). Therefore, it can be seen as important that such criteria of can be defined in order to make such an assessment. In this essay, I shall argue that it is not possible for there to be an objective standard of taste that can be defined through a set of binding aesthetic principles that can be used to judge value of artistic works. Rather, than an objective standard of taste can exist without aesthetic rules or principles. This shall be done by first examining Hume’s seminal work ‘Of the standard of taste’ (Hume, SOT).

Firstly Hume’s idea of ‘agreeableness’ of a work art shall be addressed, and how the idea of the test of time can result in unanimity of in aesthetic judgement as evidence that there can be an objective standard for aesthetic judgement. This shall be confirmed by examining Hume’s non-cognitivist account of aesthetic judgement proposing that no properties of objects can make them viable candidates for aesthetic evaluation, only the immediate and spontaneous reactions that they can evoke from us can. After this has been established it will then be shown that due to the shared nature of the human species, such aesthetic sentiments can display reasonable uniformity. Although it will have already been established that a uniformity of taste exists, it will be discussed how aesthetic sentiments can be improved by a sound understanding of what is being appreciated, as it is possible for some aesthetic judgments to be better than others, through aesthetic judgment of individuals that Hume regards as being good critics, who have well-tuned aesthetic sensibilit...

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... (1963)

The abbreviations and texts cited above are as follows:

[T] A Treatise of Human Nature, edited by L. A. Selby-Bigge, 2nd ed. revised by P.H. Nidditch, Oxford: Clarendon Press, (1975)

[SOT]

“Of the Standard of Taste,” in, The Philosophical Works of David Hume, edited by T. H. Green and T. H. Grose. 4 volumes, London: Longman, Green, 1874-75. [Page references above to individual essays are to volume 3 of this edition.]

Web Articles used

Zangwill, Nick, "Aesthetic Judgment", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2006 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = .

Gracyk, Ted, "Hume's Aesthetics", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2006 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), forthcoming URL = .

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