David Hume and His Thoughts Essay - 741 Words

David Hume and His Thoughts Hume begins his argument by observing that there is â€Å"a great variety of taste, as well as of opinions, which prevails the world.† This diversity is found among people of the same background and culture within the same group and is even more pronounced among â€Å"distance nations and remote ages.† A â€Å"standard of taste† would provide a definite way to reconcile this diversity. By taste, Hume refers to impressions or emotional responses associated with beauty and ugliness. Each person perceives beauty differently or, in other words, â€Å"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.† Hume then starts to outline this thesis. Sentiments are subjective and can neither be right or†¦show more content†¦Beauty, however, exists in the minds of the individuals contemplating it and thus each individual perceives beauty differently. 3. 5 Principles of Taste of the Ideal Critic The Ideal Critic possesses delicacy of taste, practice, unprejudiced mind, ability to engage in comparison, and overall good sense. Hume defines â€Å"delicacy of taste† as thus: â€Å"where the organs are so fine, as to allow nothing to escape them, and at the same time so exact as to perceive every ingredient in the composition.† He then uses the story of the two kinsmen from Don Quixote to illustrate this concept. The main point of this story is that some individuals are more sensitive to subtle differences in an artwork and that delicacy of taste is required to make a judgment. The ideal critic can improve their â€Å"delicacy of taste† through practice and comparison. In order to do so, the critic must free the mind from prejudice by being a disinterested observer. The last attribute of an ideal critic is good sense, which means the ideal critic must be intelligent and rational. 4. Characteristics that Account for Differences in Taste Hume identifies two characteristics that may account for the differences of taste: â€Å"the different humors of men† and â€Å"particular manners and opinions of our age and country.† Maturity, character, position, and culture are unavoidable influences on the judgmentsShow MoreRelatedEssay on David Humes Theory of Knowledge858 Words   |  4 Pagesindividual units of thought. This theory of knowledge belonged to David Hume, a Scottish philosopher. Hume was born on April 26, 1711, as his family’s second son. His father died when he was an infant and left his mother to care for him, his older brother, and his sister. David Hume passed through ordinary classes with great success, and found an early love for literature. 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