The Beautiful

This 1913 volume explores the philosophical significance of the concepts of beauty and aesthetic preference.

Vernon Lee (Author)

9781107401662, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 11 August 2011

168 pages
20.3 x 12.7 x 0.9 cm, 0.2 kg

Originally published during the early part of the twentieth century, the Cambridge Manuals of Science and Literature were designed to provide concise introductions to a broad range of topics. They were written by experts for the general reader and combined a comprehensive approach to knowledge with an emphasis on accessibility. This 1913 volume by Vernon Lee explores the philosophical significance of the concepts of beauty and aesthetic preference, written in terms intended to be intelligible to the lay reader.

Preface and apology
1. The adjective 'beautiful'
2. Contemplative satisfaction
3. Aspects versus things
4. Sensations
5. Perception of relations
6. Elements of shape
7. Facility and difficulty of grasping
8. Subject and object, or, nominative and accusative
9. Empathy (Einfühlung)
10. The movement of lines
11. The character of shapes
12. From the shape to the thing
13. From the thing to the shape
14. The aims of art
15. Attention to shapes
16. Information about things
17. Co-operation of things and shapes
18. Æsthetic responsiveness
19. The storage and transfer of emotion
20. Æsthetic irradiation and purification
21. Conclusion (evolutional)
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of mind [HPM]