>I think all humans are universally sensitive to identify unity from disunity in what they sense, but that would not determine their personal aesthetic taste. (Mando)
What about your response to Chinese opera? If it's anything like mine, it just sounds like a bunch of howling cats -- i.e. irritating noise, utterly lacking in the kind of relationships that would suggest a word like "unity" (or "music") I would call that response the result of my personal aesthetic taste (or lack of it) -- and the same thing with your response to Manet's last painting. Dutton, following Hume, would suggest that if Chinese opera could be beautiful, then my response would be inadequate, and accounted for either some cultural prejudice or lack of experience (I tend to love Chinese culture, so I think it's the latter) Similarly, if Manet's last painting is beautiful, then some reason would have to found to account for your feeling that Manet got frustrated after he had "added the center figure which had too much detail for a still life quality" (which is the issue of unity, is it not?) -- and after he had reached "the last straw", he abandoned it. (presumably as a failure) I'm doubting that cultural prejudice of lack of experience would be involved in your case, so I admit that I find your reaction quite puzzling. Perhaps the only explanation is some "unfathomable personal preference" - which is what I would call Hume's "fudge factor". Though, as that has to be used more often, his notion of the "general principles of taste" becomes ever more disproven. ____________________________________________________________ Stock Options Click to learn about options trading and get the latest information. http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2231/c?cp=QYG8SpIuIAeDL_omXFV8VwAAJz6c l_zTaptgNR5c8Mer1v9kAAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQlgAAAAA=
