"David Hume - Of the Standard of Taste" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hume David)

taste, and reconcile the discordant apprehensions of men,
there still remain two sources of variation, which are not
sufficient indeed to confound all the boundaries of beauty and
deformity, but will often serve to produce a difference in the
degrees of our approbation or blame. The one is the different
humours of particular men; the other, the particular manners
and opinions of our age and country. The general principles of
taste are uniform in human nature: where men vary in their
judgments, some defect or perversion in the faculties may
commonly be remarked; proceeding either from prejudice, from
want of practice, or want of delicacy; and there is just
reason for approving one taste, and condemning another. But
where there is such a diversity in the internal frame or
external situation as is entirely blameless on both sides, and
leaves no room to give one the preference above the other; in
that case a certain degree of diversity in judgment is
unavoidable, and we seek in vain for a standard, by which we
can reconcile the contrary sentiments.

A young man, whose passions are warm, will be more sensibly
touched with amorous and tender images, than a man more
advanced in years, who take pleasure in wise, philosophical
reflections concerning the conduct of life and moderation of
the passions. At twenty, OVID may be the favourite author;
HORACE at forty; and perhaps TACITUS at fifty. Vainly would
we, in such cases, endeavour to enter into the sentiments of
others, and divest ourselves of those propensities, which are
natural to us. We choose our favourite author as we do our
friend, from a conformity of humour and disposition. Mirth or
passion, sentiment or reflection; whichever of these most
predominates in our temper, it gives us a peculiar sympathy
with the writer who resembles us.

One person is more pleased with the sublime; another with the
tender; a third with raillery. One has a strong sensibility to
blemishes, and is extremely studious of correctness: Another
has a more lively feeling of beauties, and pardons twenty
absurdities and defects for one elevated or pathetic stroke.
The ear of this man is entirely turned towards conciseness and
energy; that man is delighted with a copious, rich, and
harmonious expression. Simplicity is affected by one; ornament
by another. Comedy, tragedy, satire, odes, have each its
partisans, who prefer that particular species of writing to
all others. It is plainly an error in a critic, to confine his
approbation to one species or style of writing, and condemn
all the rest. But it is almost impossible not to feel a
predilection for that which suits our particular turn and
disposition. Such preferences are innocent and unavoidable,
and can never reasonably be the object of dispute, because
there is no standard, by which they can be decided.