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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful

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A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757)
by Edmund Burke
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144910A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful1757Edmund Burke
​

A

Philosophical Enquiry

INTO THE

Origin of our Ideas

OF THE

SUBLIME

AND

BEAUTIFUL.

LONDON:

Printed for R. and J. Dodsley, in Pall-mall.
M DCC LVII.

​

THE

PREFACE.

The author hopes it will not be thought impertinent to say something of the motives which induced him to enter into the following enquiry. The matters which make the subject of it had formerly engaged a great deal of his attention. But he often found himself greatly at a loss; he found that he was far from having any thing like an exact theory of our passions, or a knowledge of their genuine sources; he found that he could not reduce his notions to any ​fixed or consistent principles; and he had remarked, that others lay under the same difficulties.

He observed that the ideas of the sublime and beautiful were frequently confounded; and that both were indiscriminately applied to things greatly differing, and sometimes of natures directly opposite. Even Longinus, in his incomparable discourse upon a part of this subject, has comprehended things extremely repugnant to each other, under one common name of the Sublime. The abuse of the word Beauty, has been still more general, and attended with still worse consequences.

Such a confusion of ideas must certainly render all our reasonings upon subjects of this kind extremely inaccurate and inconclusive. Could this ad​mit of any remedy, I imagined it could only be from a diligent examination of our passions in our own breasts; from a careful survey of the properties of things which we find by experience to influence those passions; and from a sober and attentive investigation of the laws of nature, by which those properties are capable of affecting the body, and thus of exciting our passions. If this could be done, it was imagined that the rules deducible from such an enquiry might be applied to the imitative arts, and to whatever else they concerned, without much difficulty.

It is four years now since this enquiry was finished; during which time the author found no cause to make any material alteration in his theory. ​He has shewn it to some of his friends, men of learning and candour, who do not think it wholly unreasonable; and he now ventures to lay it before the public, proposing his notions as probable conjectures, not as things certain and indisputable; and if he has any where expressed himself more positively, it was owing to inattention.

​

THE

CONTENTS.

PART I.
SECT. I. Novelty. page 1
SECT. II. Pain and Pleasure 3
SECT. III. The difference between Pain and Pleasure 6
SECT. IV. Of Delight and Pleasure, as opposed to each other 8
SECT. V. Joy and Grief 10
SECT. VI. Of the Passions which belong to Self-preservation 12
SECT. VII. Of the Sublime 13
SECT. VIII. Of the Passions which belong to Society 14
SECT. IX. The final cause of the difference between the Passions belonging to Self-preservation, and those which regard the Society of the Sexes. 16 ​
SECT. X. Of Beauty 17
SECT. XI. Society and Solitude 19
SECT. XII. Sympathy, Imitation, and Ambition 21
SECT. XIII. Sympathy ibid.
SECT. XIV. The effects of Sympathy in the distresses of others 23
SECT. XV. Of the effects of Tragedy 25
SECT. XVI. Imitation 28
SECT. XVII. Ambition 30
SECT. XVIII. The Recapitulation 32
SECT. XIX. 33
SECT. XX. The same 34
SECT. XXI. The Conclusion ibid.
PART II.
SECT. I. Of the Passions caused by the Sublime 41
SECT. II. Terror 42
SECT. III. Obscurity 43
SECT. IV. Of the difference between Clearness and Obscurity with regard to the Passions 45 ​
SECT. V. The same subject continued 46
SECT. VI. Privation 50
SECT. VII. Vastness 51
SECT. VIII. Infinity 52
SECT. IX. The same 53
SECT. X. Succession and Uniformity 54
SECT. XI. The effect of Succession and Uniformity in Building 56
SECT. XII. Magnitude in Building 58
SECT. XIII. Infinity in pleasing Objects 59
SECT. XIV. Difficulty 60
SECT. XV. Magnificence ibid.
SECT. XVI. Light 62
SECT. XVII. Light in Building 63
SECT. XVIII. Colour considered as productive of the Sublime 64
SECT. [XVIII.] Sound and Loudness 65
SECT. XIX. Suddenness 66
SECT. XX. Intermitting 67
SECT. XXI. The cries of Animals 68 ​
SECT. XXIII. Smell and Taste. Bitters and Stenches 69
SECT. XXIV. Feeling. Pain 71
PART III.
SECT. I. Of Beauty 73
SECT. II. Proportion not the cause of Beauty in Vegetables 74
SECT. III. Proportion not the cause of Beauty in Animals 76
SECT. IV. Proportion not the cause of Beauty in the human species 78
SECT. V. Proportion further considered 81
SECT. VI. Fitness not the cause of Beauty 84
SECT. VII. The real effects of Fitness 86
SECT. VIII. The Recapitulation 90
SECT. IX. Perfection not the cause of Beauty 91
SECT. X. How far the idea of Beauty may be applied to the qualities of the Mind 92 ​
SECT. XI. How far the ideas of Beauty may be applied to Virtue 94
SECT. XII. The real cause of Beauty 95
SECT. XIII. Beautiful objects small 96
SECT. XIV. Smoothness 98
SECT. XV. Gradual Variation 99
SECT. XVI. Delicacy 101
SECT. XVII. Beauty in Colour 102
SECT. XVIII. Recapitulation 103
SECT. XIX. The Physiognomy 104
SECT. XX. The Eye 105
SECT. XXI. Ugliness 106
SECT. XXII. Grace 107
SECT. XXIII. Elegance and Speciousness ibid.
SECT. XXIV. The Beautiful in Feeling 108
SECT. XXV. The Beautiful in Sounds 111
SECT. XXVI. Continued. 112
SECT. XXVII. Taste and Smell 114
SECT. XXVIII. The Sublime and Beautiful compared 115 ​
PART IV.
SECT. I. Of the efficient cause of the Sublime and Beautiful 117
SECT. II. Association 120
SECT. III. Cause of Pain and Fear 121
SECT. IV. Continued 124
SECT. V. How the Sublime is produced 126
SECT. VI. How pain can be a cause of Delight 127
SECT. VII. Exercise necessary for the finer Organs 129
SECT. VIII. Why things not dangerous sometimes produce a passion like Terror 130
SECT. IX. Why visual Objects of great dimensions are Sublime 131
SECT. X. Unity why requisite to Vastness 133
SECT. XI. The artificial Infinite 134
SECT. XII. The vibrations must be similar 136
SECT. XIII. The effects of Succession in visual objects explained 137 ​
SECT. XIV. Locke's opinion concerning darkness, considered 140
SECT. XV. Darkness terrible by its own nature 142
SECT. XVI. The cause why Darkness is terrible 144
SECT. XVII. The effects of Blackness 145
SECT. XVIII. The effects of Blackness moderated 148
SECT. XIX. The physical cause of Love 149
SECT. XX. Why Smoothness is beautiful 151
SECT. XXI. Sweetness, its nature 152
SECT. XXII. Sweetness relaxing 156
SECT. XXIII. Variation, why beautiful 158
SECT. XXIV. Concerning Smallness 160
SECT. XXVI. Of Colour 164 ​
PART V.
SECT. I. Of Words 167
SECT. II. The common effect of Poetry, not by raising ideas of things 168
SECT. III. General words before ideas 171
SECT. IV. The effect of Words 173
SECT. V. Examples that Words may affect without raising images 175
SECT. VI. Poetry not strictly an imitative art 179
SECT. VII. How Words influence the Passions. 180



  • Part III
    • Chapter 1: Of Beauty (to migrate)
    • Chapter 2: Proportion not the Cause of Beauty in Vegetables (to migrate)
    • Chapter 3: Proportion not the Cause of Beauty in Animals (to migrate)
    • Chapter 4: Proportion not the Cause of Beauty in the Human Species (to migrate)
    • Chapter 5: Proportion Further Considered (to migrate)
    • Chapter 6: Fitness not the Cause of Beauty (to migrate)
    • Chapter 7: The Real Effects of Fitness (to migrate)
    • Chapter 8: The Recapitulation (to migrate)
    • Chapter 9: Perfection not the Cause of Beauty (to migrate)
    • Chapter 10: How Far the Idea of Beauty May be Applied to the Qualities of the Mind (to migrate)
    • Chapter 11: How Far the Idea of Beauty May be Applied to Virtue (to migrate)
    • Chapter 12: The Real Cause of Beauty (to migrate)
    • Chapter 13: Beautiful Objects Small (to migrate)
    • Chapter 14: Smoothness (to migrate)
    • Chapter 15: Gradual Variation (to migrate)
    • Chapter 16: Delicacy (to migrate)
    • Chapter 17: Beauty in Colour (to migrate)
    • Chapter 18: Recapitulation (to migrate)
    • Chapter 19: The Physiognomy (to migrate)
    • Chapter 20: The Eye (to migrate)
    • Chapter 21: Ugliness (to migrate)
    • Chapter 22: Grace (to migrate)
    • Chapter 23: Elegance and Speciousness (to migrate)
    • Chapter 24: The Beautiful in Feeling (to migrate)
    • Chapter 25: The Beautiful in Sounds (to migrate)
    • Chapter 26: Taste and Smell (to migrate)
    • Chapter 27: The Sublime and Beautiful Compared (to migrate)
  • Part IV
    • Chapter 1: Of the Efficient Cause of the Sublime and Beautiful (to migrate)
    • Chapter 2: Association (to migrate)
    • Chapter 3: Cause of Pain and Fear (to migrate)
    • Chapter 4: Continued (to migrate)
    • Chapter 5: How the Sublime is Produced (to migrate)
    • Chapter 6: How Pain Can be a Cause of Delight (to migrate)
    • Chapter 7: Exercise Necessary for the Finer Organs (to migrate)
    • Chapter 8: Why Things not Dangerous Produce a Passion Like Terror (to migrate)
    • Chapter 9: Why Visual Objects of Great Dimensions are Sublime (to migrate)
    • Chapter 10: Unity, Why Requisite to Vastness (to migrate)
    • Chapter 11: The Artificial Infinite (to migrate)
    • Chapter 12: The Vibrations Must be Similar (to migrate)
    • Chapter 13: The Effects of Succession in Visual Objects Explained (to migrate)
    • Chapter 14: Locke’s Opinion Concerning Darkness Considered (to migrate)
    • Chapter 15: Darkness Terrible in its Own Nature (to migrate)
    • Chapter 16: Why Darkness is Terrible (to migrate)
    • Chapter 17: The Effects of Blackness (to migrate)
    • Chapter 18: The Effects of Blackness Moderated (to migrate)
    • Chapter 19: The Physical Cause of Love (to migrate)
    • Chapter 20: Why Smoothness is Beautiful (to migrate)
    • Chapter 21: Sweetness, Its Nature (to migrate)
    • Chapter 22: Sweetness, Relaxing (to migrate)
    • Chapter 23: Variation, Why Beautiful (to migrate)
    • Chapter 24: Concerning Smallness (to migrate)
    • Chapter 25: Of Colour (to migrate)
  • Part V
    • Chapter 1: Of Words (to migrate)
    • Chapter 2: The Common Effects of Poetry, Not by Raising Ideas of Things (to migrate)
    • Chapter 3: General Words Before Ideas (to migrate)
    • Chapter 4: The Effect of Words (to migrate)
    • Chapter 5: Examples that Words May Affect Without Raising Images (to migrate)
    • Chapter 6: Poetry not Strictly an Imitative Art (to migrate)
    • Chapter 7: How Words Influence the Passions (to migrate)

This work was published before January 1, 1931, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse

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