A philosophical enquiry into the origin of our ideas of the sublime and beautiful : with an introductory discourse concerning taste ; and several other additions

An eloquent and sometimes even erotic book, the Philosophical Enquiry was long dismissed as a piece of mere juvenilia. However, Burke's analysis of the relationship between emotion, beauty, and art form is now recognized as not only an important and influential work of aesthetic theory, but also one of the first major works in European literature on the Sublime, a subject that has fascinated thinkers from Kant and Coleridge to the philosophers and critics of today. Contents 6 Acknowledgements 8 Introduction 10 Note on the Text 25 Select Bibliography 26 A Chronology of Edmund Burke 28 BURKE'S Enquiry 30 THE PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION 32 THE PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION 34 INTRODUCTION. On Taste 42 THE CONTENTS 42 PART I 58 SECTION I. Novelty 60 SECTION II. Pain and Pleasure 61 SECTION III. The difference between the removal of Pain and positive Pleasure 62 SECTION IV. Of Delight and Pleasure, as opposed to each other 64 SECTION V. Joy and Grief 65 SECTION VI. Of the Passions which belong to Self-preservation 66 SECTION VII. Of the Sublime 67 SECTION VIII. Of the Passions which belong to society 68 SECTION IX. The final cause of the difference between the Passions belonging to Self-preservation, and those which regard the Society of the Sexes 69 SECTION X. Of Beauty 70 SECTION XI. Society and Solitude 71 SECTION XII. Sympathy, Imitation and Ambition 71 SECTION XIII. Sympathy 72 SECTION XIV. The effects of Sympathy in the distresses of others 73 SECTION XV. Of the effects of Tragedy 74 SECTION XVI. Imitation 76 SECTION XVII. Ambition 77 SECTION XVIII. Recapitulation 78 SECTION XIX. The Conclusion 79 PART II 82 SECTION I. Of the Passion caused by the Sublime 84 SECTION II. Terror 84 SECTION III. Obscurity 85 SECTION IV. Of the difference between Clearness and Obscurity with regard to the Passions 86 SECTION [IV.] The same subject continued 87 SECTION V. Power 90 SECTION VI. Privation 96 SECTION VII. Vastness 97 SECTION VIII. Infinity 98 SECTION IX. Succession and Uniformity 99 SECTION X. Magnitude in Building 100 SECTION XI. Infinity in pleasing Objects 101 SECTION XII. Difficulty 102 SECTION XIII. Magnificence 102 SECTION XIV. Light 104 SECTION XV. Light in Building 105 SECTION XVI. Colour considered as productive of the Sublime 106 SECTION XVII. Sound and Loudness 106 SECTION XVIII. Suddenness 107 SECTION XIX. Intermitting 107 SECTION XX. The cries of Animals 108 SECTION XXI. Smell and Taste. Bitters and Stenches 109 SECTION XXII. Feeling. Pain 110 PART III 112 SECTION I. Of Beauty 114 SECTION II. Proportion not the cause of Beauty in Vegetables 115 SECTION III. Proportion not the cause of Beauty in Animals 118 SECTION IV. Proportion not the cause of Beauty in the human species 119 SECTION V. Proportion further considered 124 SECTION VI. Fitness not the cause of Beauty 126 SECTION VII. The real effects of Fitness 128 SECTION VIII. The Recapitulation 130 SECTION IX. Perfection not the cause of Beauty 131 SECTION X. How far the idea of Beauty may be applied to the qualities of the Mind 131 SECTION XI. How far the idea of Beauty may be applied to Virtue 132 SECTION XII. The real cause of Beauty 133 SECTION XIII. Beautiful objects small 133 SECTION XIV. Smoothness 134 SECTION XV. Gradual Variation 135 SECTION XVI. Delicacy 136 SECTION XVII. Beauty in Colour 137 SECTION XVIII. Recapitulation 138 SECTION XIX. The Physiognomy 138 SECTION XX. The Eye 139 SECTION XXI. Ugliness 139 SECTION XXII. Grace 140 SECTION XXIII. Elegance and Speciousness 140 SECTION XXIV. The Beautiful in Feeling 141 SECTION XXV. The Beautiful in Sounds 142 SECTION XXVI. Taste and Smell 144 SECTION XXVII. The Sublime and Beautiful compared 144 PART IV 146 SECTION I. Of the efficient cause of the Sublime and Beautiful 148 SECTION II. Association 149 SECTION III. Cause of Pain and Fear 150 SECTION IV. Continued 151 SECTION V. How the Sublime is produced 152 SECTION VI. How pain can be a cause of Delight 153 SECTION VII. Exercise necessary for the finer organs 154 SECTION VIII. Why things not dangerous sometimes produce a passion like Terror 155 SECTION IX. Why visual objects of great dimensions are Sublime 155 SECTION X. Unity why requisite to Vastness 156 SECTION XI. The artificial Infinite 157 SECTION XII. The vibrations must be similar 158 SECTION XIII. The effects of Succession in visual objects explained 159 SECTION XIV. Locke's opinion concerning darkness, considered 161 SECTION XV. Darkness terrible in its own nature 162 SECTION XVI. Why Darkness is terrible 163 SECTION XVII. The effects of Blackness 164 SECTION XVIII. The effects of Blackness moderated 166 SECTION XIX. The physical cause of Love 166 SECTION XX. Why Smoothness is beautiful 168 SECTION XXI. Sweetness, its nature 168 SECTION XXII. Sweetness relaxing 170 SECTION XXIII. Variation, why beautiful 171 SECTION XXIV. Concerning Smallness 172 SECTION XXV. Of Colour 175 PART V 178 SECTION I. Of Words 180 SECTION II. The common effect of Poetry, not by raising ideas of things 180 SECTION III. General words before ideas 182 SECTION IV. The effect of Words 183 SECTION V. Examples that Words may affect without raising images 184 SECTION VI. Poetry not strictly an imitative art 188 SECTION VII. How Words influence the Passions 189 Explanatory Notes 194 MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Contents 6 Acknowledgements 8 Introduction 10 Note on the Text 25 Select Bibliography 26 A Chronology of Edmund Burke 28 BURKE'S Enquiry 30 THE PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION 32 THE PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION 34 INTRODUCTION. On Taste 42 THE CONTENTS 42 PART I 58 SECTION I. Novelty 60 SECTION II. Pain and Pleasure 61 SECTION III. The difference between the removal of Pain and positive Pleasure 62 SECTION IV. Of Delight and Pleasure, as opposed to each other 64 SECTION V. Joy and Grief 65 SECTION VI. Of the Passions which belong to Self-preservation 66 SECTION VII. Of the Sublime 67 SECTION VIII. Of the Passions which belong to society 68 SECTION IX. The final cause of the difference between the Passions belonging to Self-preservation, and those which regard the Society of the Sexes 69 SECTION X. Of Beauty 70 SECTION XI. Society and Solitude 71 SECTION XII. Sympathy, Imitation and Ambition 71 SECTION XIII. Sympathy 72 SECTION XIV. The effects of Sympathy in the distresses of others 73 SECTION XV. Of the effects of Tragedy 74 SECTION XVI. Imitation 76 SECTION XVII. Ambition 77 SECTION XVIII. Recapitulation 78 SECTION XIX. The Conclusion 79 PART II 82 SECTION I. Of the Passion caused by the Sublime 84 SECTION II. Terror 84 SECTION III. Obscurity 85 SECTION IV. Of the difference between Clearness and Obscurity with regard to the Passions 86 SECTION [IV.] The same subject continued 87 SECTION V. Power 90 SECTION VI. Privation 96 SECTION VII. Vastness 97 SECTION VIII. Infinity 98 SECTION IX. Succession and Uniformity 99 SECTION X. Magnitude in Building 100 SECTION XI. Infinity in pleasing Objects 101 SECTION XII. Difficulty 102 SECTION XIII. Magnificence 102 SECTION XIV. Light 104 SECTION XV. Light in Building 105 SECTION XVI. Colour considered as productive of the Sublime 106 SECTION XVII. Sound and Loudness 106 SECTION XVIII. Suddenness 107 SECTION XIX. Intermitting 107 SECTION XX. The cries of Animals 108 SECTION XXI. Smell and Taste. Bitters and Stenches 109 SECTION XXII. Feeling. Pain 110 PART III 112 SECTION I. Of Beauty 114 SECTION II. Proportion not the cause of Beauty in Vegetables 115 SECTION III. Proportion not the cause of Beauty in Animals 118 SECTION IV. Proportion not the cause of Beauty in the human species 119 SECTION V. Proportion further considered 124 SECTION VI. Fitness not the cause of Beauty 126 SECTION VII. The real effects of Fitness 128 SECTION VIII. The Recapitulation 130 SECTION IX. Perfection not the cause of Beauty 131 SECTION X. How far the idea of Beauty may be applied to the qualities of the Mind 131 SECTION XI. How far the idea of Beauty may be applied to Virtue 132 SECTION XII. The real cause of Beauty 133 SECTION XIII. Beautiful objects small 133 SECTION XIV. Smoothness 134 SECTION XV. Gradual Variation 135 SECTION XVI. Delicacy 136 SECTION XVII. Beauty in Colour 137 SECTION XVIII. Recapitulation 138 SECTION XIX. The Physiognomy 138 SECTION XX. The Eye 139 SECTION XXI. Ugliness 139 SECTION XXII. Grace 140 SECTION XXIII. Elegance and Speciousness 140 SECTION XXIV. The Beautiful in Feeling 141 SECTION XXV. The Beautiful in Sounds 142 SECTION XXVI. Taste and Smell 144 SECTION XXVII. The Sublime and Beautiful compared 144 PART IV 146 SECTION I. Of the efficient cause of the Sublime and Beautiful 148 SECTION II. Association 149 SECTION III. Cause of Pain and Fear 150 SECTION IV. Continued 151 SECTION V. How the Sublime is produced 152 SECTION VI. How pain can be a cause of Delight 153 SECTION VII. Exercise necessary for the finer organs 154 SECTION VIII. Why things not dangerous sometimes produce a passion like Terror 155 SECTION IX. Why visual objects of great dimensions are Sublime 155 SECTION X. Unity why requisite to Vastness 156 SECTION XI. The artificial Infinite 157 SECTION XII. The vibrations must be similar 158 SECTION XIII. The effects of Succession in visual objects explained 159 SECTION XIV. Locke's opinion concerning darkness, considered 161 SECTION XV. Darkness terrible in its own nature 162 SECTION XVI. Why Darkness is terrible 163 SECTION XVII. The effects of Blackness 164 SECTION XVIII. The effects of Blackness moderated 166 SECTION XIX. The physical cause of Love 166 SECTION XX. Why Smoothness is beautiful 168 SECTION XXI. Sweetness, its nature 168 SECTION XXII. Sweetness relaxing 170 SECTION XXIII. Variation, why beautiful 171 SECTION XXIV. Concerning Smallness 172 SECTION XXV. Of Colour 175 PART V 178 SECTION I. Of Words 180 SECTION II. The common effect of Poetry, not by raising ideas of things 180 SECTION III. General words before ideas 182 SECTION IV. The effect of Words 183 SECTION V. Examples that Words may affect without raising images 184 SECTION VI. Poetry not strictly an imitative art 188 SECTION VII. How Words influence the Passions 189 Explanatory Notes 194 The "Philosophical Enquiry" is a study of the relationship between strong feelings and forms of art, that considers the inspired persuasiveness of certain kinds of writing alongside experience of the natural landscape, and is gradually being recognized as an important work of aesthetic theory. This eloquent and sometimes erotic book was long considered to be a piece of Burke's juvenilia, published when he was only 28. But it is a precursor of his later political writings, and clearly deals with a fashionable topic of intellectual preoccupation in the 18th-century. This work is also one of the first major works in European literature on the sublime, a subject that was later to fascinate thinkers from Kant and Coleridge in the 18th-century, to contemporary philosophers and literary critics. Adam Phillips has also edited Charles Lamb's "Selected Prose" and Walter Pater's "The Renaissance", as well as writing a study of his own entitled "Winnicott." Edmund Burke ; Edited With An Introduction And Notes By Adam Phillips. First Published As World's Classics Paperback 1990--t.p. Verso. The Philosophical Enquiry Was First Published By Robert And James Dodsley In London In 1757. A Second Edition Was Published In 1759 With An Additional Preface And The New Introduction On Taste. The Present Text Is Of The Second Edition And Based On Boulton's Fine Edition [1958] Listed In The Bibliography--p. Xxiv. Includes Bibliographical References (p. Xxv-xxvi). The "Philosophical Enquiry" was often dismissed as a piece of mere juvenilia. However, Burke's analysis of the relationship between emotion, beauty and art form is now recognized as one of the first European works on the subject of the Sublime