Beauty In David Hume's Of The Standard Of Taste

Any individual that has the slightest experience with critiquing a piece of artwork knows the potential ramifications in stating his or her opinion. Many individuals have the tendency to push and prod others to see something in their view, only to get argumentative if nobody is standing beside them. If someone happens to agree, it could be solely to satisfy the other person. In this case, the concepts are not being fully understood, conversations are just being held to appease. Granted, not all conversations regarding artistic material is so mindless, but without the proper knowledge, it is unlikely an in-depth conversation will take place. One crucial element to consider while critiquing a piece, is the question of whether the work is beautiful to the viewer. …show more content…
David Hume was an influential philosopher and essayist that explored the concept of beauty, particularly the qualifications it took for an individual to have an opinion on what art consisted of. In his work Of the Standard of Taste, Hume elaborates on the aspects that individuals must possess for them to dole out fair judgement in regards to an object of artistic value. While everyone may have a certain amount of knowledge pertaining to the subject, Hume believed that there are certain behaviors an individual must possess that will allow them to judge art fairly. Because opposing views are prevalent and everyone’s taste varies greatly, therefore, everyone is not suitable to be a judge. Ultimately, there is sufficient evidence given to make the claim that Hume’s theory of the “standard of taste” is an accurate representation of how an art critic should be determined and presents the opportunity for today’s standards of beauty to be scrutinized