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41 pages 1 hour read

A Philosophical Enquiry Into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1756

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Essay Topics

1.

Edmund Burke asserts that all humans have the same taste. The development of that taste varies in degrees, but the core of all taste is the same in every person. Do you agree or disagree with this argument? What does “taste” mean to you, and how does your conception compare to Burke’s?

2.

How do colonialism and racism play a role in Burke’s understanding of aesthetics? How might his ideas be updated to fit a modern context?

3.

According to Burke, what role does the imagination play in the development of art and taste? How might modern understandings of the imagination contribute to how philosophers think about art and art criticism?

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