The Arts in Mind: Pioneering Texts of a Coterie of British Men of LettersAmajor shift in critical attitudes toward the arts took place in the eighteenth century. The fine arts were now looked upon as a group, divorced from the sciences and governed by their own rules. The century abounded with treatises that sought to establish the overriding principles that differentiate art from other walks of life as well as the principles that differentiate them from each other. This burst of scholarly activity resulted in the incorporation of aesthetics among the classic branches of philosophy, heralding the cognitive turn in epistemology. Among the writings that initiated this turn, none were more important than the British contribution. The Arts in Mind brings together an annotated selection of these key texts. A companion volume to the editors' Tuning the Mind, which analyzed this major shift in world view and its historical context, The Arts in Mind is the first representative sampling of what constitutes an important school of British thought. The texts are neither obscure nor forgotten, although most histories of eighteenth-century thought treat them in a partial or incomplete way. Here they are made available complete or through representative extracts together with an editor's introduction to each selection providing essential biographical and intellectual background. The treatises included are representative of the changed climate of opinion which entailed new issues such as those of perception, symbolic function, and the role of history and culture in shaping the world. Contents include: Anthony Ashley Cooper, Third Earl of Shaftesbury, "Characteristics"; Francis Hutcheson, "Inquiry Concerning Beauty, Harmony and Design"; Hildebrand Jacob, "Of the Sister Arts: An Essay"; James Harris, "On Music, Painting and Poetry"; Charles Avison, "An Essay on Musical Expression"; James Beattie, "Essay on Poetry and Music as They Affect the Mind"; Daniel Webb, "Observations on the Correspondence between Poetry and Music"; Thomas Twining, "On Poetry Considered as an Imitative Art," "On the Different Senses of the Word Imitative as Applied to Music by the Ancients and by the Moderns"; Adam Smith, "Of the Nature of that Imitation which Takes Place in What are Called the Imaginative Arts." Ruth Katz is Emanuel Alexandre Professor of Musicology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is co-editor with Carl Dahlhaus of Contemplating Music, a four-volume study of the philosophy of music. Ruth HaCohen is Clarica and Fred Davidson Senior Lecturer of Musicology at the Hebrew University. |
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Contents
5 | |
Francis Hutcheson | 41 |
Hildebrand Jacob | 81 |
James Harris | 113 |
Charles Avison | 147 |
James Beattie | 183 |
Daniel Webb | 249 |
Thomas Twining | 323 |
Adam Smith | 367 |
Bibliography | 421 |
Other editions - View all
The Arts in Mind: Pioneering Texts of a Coterie of British Men of Letters Ruth HaCohen Limited preview - 2017 |
The Arts in Mind: Pioneering Texts of a Coterie of British Men of Letters Ruth Katz,Ruth HaCohen No preview available - 2003 |
The Arts in Mind: Pioneering Texts of a Coterie of British Men of Letters Ruth Hacohen No preview available - 2018 |
Common terms and phrases
able according action advantage aesthetic agreeable already Ancients appear applied argument artistic attempt Avison beauty become body called character colour common Composition concept concerning connection considered CONT correspondence discussion distinct effect emotions equal example expression fact feelings figures force give greater harmony Harris human ideas imagination imitation immediate important impressions interesting kind knowledge language latter less manner means measure melody merit mind moral motion movement nature necessary never notes objects observed original Painting particular passions perception perfect perhaps person philosophical picture pleasing pleasure poet poetical Poetry present principle produce proper proportion raise reason reference regard represent resemblance respect rules seems sense sensible sentiments Smith sound succession taste theory thing thought tion treatise true turn Twining understanding variety various verse voice Webb whole writers
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Page 19 - Sense of right and wrong therefore being as natural to us as natural affection itself, and being a first principle in our constitution and make, there is no speculative opinion, persuasion, or belief, which is capable immediately or directly to exclude or destroy it.