What Are Aesthetics?

When questioning something as controversial as the possibility of a standard of aesthetic judgment, one must take into account the many different perspectives that already exist on the matter. For centuries now, some of the greatest philosophers such as David Hume and Immanuel Kant have attempted to answer this timeless question. However, understandings and interpretations of art are constantly evolving. This has made a clear concise answer difficult to find. Throughout this essay, I will discuss previous opinions and beliefs on the matter, primarily focusing on the ides of philosopher David Hume, then touching on Noel Carroll’s critique of Hume’s philosophy, and then go into further detail of my own analysis of the question.

One of the most influential philosophers on the subject of aesthetics was scholar David Hume. Hume wrote his most significant piece of work on aesthetics, Of The Standard of Taste, in 1757. This written work is still highly influential among scholars today and provides a knowledgeable background for understanding the concepts of aesthetics and aesthetic judgment. In Hume’s opinion, there can be and is a standard of aesthetic judgment, however there is a certain paradoxical subjectivity when taste is involved. There is a certain contradiction between what we know to be good art, and what we know that the field of aesthetics is very subjective in nature. One of Hume’s principle concepts in his theory of aesthetics is the emotion of approbation.

Hume believes that what makes a piece of artwork appealing to the viewer, is the sense of approbation it gives them. Furthermore, approbation can be defined as a pleasant feeling of admiration and correctness that is a spontaneous reaction that happens to you when ...

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... however, the information that he offers as evidence may not be as withstanding as one would initially assume. Some sections of Hume’s theory are highly successful in developing evolutionary ideas for the subject of aesthetics, but nonetheless, Noel Carroll also gives valid counter arguments that make one question Hume’s original thoughts. In conclusion, it is my opinion that even though there can exist possible critics who are suitable to provide a semi-accurate judgment of aesthetics, but ultimately, every human being’s perception is even the least bit in the way of providing a definitive standard of aesthetic judgment because artwork and aesthetics is a largely subjective field.

Works Cited

Carroll, Noel. "Hume's Standard of Taste." The Journal of Aesthetics and art criticism. no. 2 (1984): 181-194. http://www.jstor.org/stable/429992?seq=2