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Section VI. Concerning the Universality of our Sense of Beauty
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61 u s e c t i o n v i u Of the Universality of the Sense of Beauty among Men. I. We before* insinuated, “That all Beauty has a relation to some perceiving Power;” and consequently since we know not 㛳1 how great a㛳 Variety of Senses 㛳2 there㛳 may be among Animals, there is no Form in Nature concerning which we can pronounce, “That it has no Beauty;” for it may still please some perceiving Power. But our Inquiry is confin’d to Men; and before we examine the Universality of this Sense of Beauty, or their agreement in approving Uniformity, it may be proper to consider , “㛳3 whether㛳, as the other Senses which give us Pleasure do also give us Pain, so this Sense of Beauty does make some Objects disagreeable to us, and the occasion of Pain.” 4 That many Objects give no pleasure to our Sense is obvious, many are certainly void of Beauty: But then there is no Form which seems necessarily disagreeable of itself, when we dread no other Evil [73] from it, and compare it with nothing better of the Kind. Many Objects are naturally displeasing, and distasteful to our external Senses, as well as others pleasing and agreeable; as Smells, Tastes, and some separate Sounds: 㛳5 but as㛳 to our Sense of Beauty, no Composition of Objects which give not unpleasant simple Ideas, seems positively unpleasant or painful of it self, had we never observ’d any thing better of the Kind. Deformity is only the absence of Beauty, or deficiency in the Beauty * See above Sect. i. Art. 17. Sect. iv. Art. 1. Internal Sense not an immediate Source of Pain. 62 treatise i expected in any Species: Thus bad Musick pleases Rusticks who never heard any better, and the finest Ear is not offended with tuning of Instruments if it be not too tedious, where no Harmony is expected; and yet much smaller Dissonancy shall offend amidst the Performance, where Harmony is expected. A rude Heap of Stones is no way offensive to one who shall be displeas’d with Irregularity in Architecture, where Beauty was expected. And had there been a Species of that Form which we 㛳6 call now㛳 ugly or deform’d, and had we never seen or expected greater Beauty, we should have receiv’d no disgustfromit,althothePleasure would not have been so great in this Form as in those we now admire . Our Sense of Beauty seems design’d to give us positive Pleasure, but not 㛳7 positive㛳 Pain or Disgust, any further than what arises from disappointment. [74] II. There are indeed many Faces which at first View are apt to raise Dislike; but this is generally not from any 㛳8 positive㛳 Deformitywhich of it self is positively displeasing, but either from want of expected Beauty, or much more from their carrying some natural indications of morally bad Dispositions, which we all acquire a Faculty of discerning in Countenances, Airs, and Gestures. That this is not occasion’d by any Form positively disgusting, will appear from this, That if upon long acquaintance we are sure of finding sweetness of Temper, Humanity and Cheerfulness, altho the bodily Form continues, it shallgive us no Disgust or Displeasure; whereas 㛳9 if any thing was㛳 naturally disagreeable, or the occasion of Pain, or positive Distaste, 㛳10 it㛳 would always continue so, even although the Aversion we might have toward it were counterballanc’d by other Considerations. There are Horrors rais’d by some Objects, which are only the Effect of Fear for our selves, or Compassion 㛳11 toward㛳 others, when either Reason, or somefoolish Association of Ideas, makes us apprehend Danger, and not the Effect of any thing in the Form it self: for we find that most of 㛳12 those㛳 Objects which excite Horror at first, when Experience or Reason has remov’d the Fear, may become the occasions of Pleasure; as 㛳13 ravenous 㛳 [75] Beasts, a tempestuous Sea, a craggy Precipice, a dark shady Valley. Approbation and Dislike from Association of Ideas. [44.222.146.114] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 18:02 GMT) section vi 63 III. We shall see* 㛳14 hereafter㛳, “That Associations of Ideas make Objects pleasant, and delightful, which arenotnaturallyapttogiveanysuch Pleasures; and the same way, the casual Conjunctions of Ideas may give a Disgust, where there is nothing disagreeable in the Form it self.” And this is the occasion of many fantastick Aversions to Figures of someAnimals , and to some...