Hume on the Standard of Taste

Dr. Ellie Anderson, philosophy professor and co-host of Overthink podcast, discusses Hume's essay "On the Standard of Taste", breaking down his distinction between judgment and sentiment. Hume also offers five criteria in order to help us answer the question: is there a standard of taste? Are aesthetic questions purely matters of personal feeling? Textbook is Aesthetics: A Comprehensive Anthology reader, ed. Cahn and Meskin (Blackwell, 2008).

This video is part of a series introducing philosophers' views of art and aesthetics.

For more from Dr. Anderson, check out Overthink on YouTube, or listen to our conversational podcast wherever you get your podcasts. We've got numerous audio podcast episodes on the philosophy of art!

Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at @overthink_pod

[drunkenepiphanies]

This channel is a blessing in disguise

[kuk_forgoraren]

Thank you so much for this! You summarized and explained this text in much less time and in a much less convoluted way than my own aesthetics professor did.

[suibianslaopo]

thank you sm im having a test on Hume's standard of art and I feel like I understand it.

[jonathantaylor]

As an art teacher and artist— wow thanks! So clear, to-the point, and engaging. Started with your Dewey Art as Experience and am going to keep going. These are the videos I have been looking for— for years!

[giovannisoda]

My first (and rn only) paper is on Hume’s concept of taste, thank you so much for covering the argument

[lillilii]

Love this! It would be amazing if you did one on philosophy of elegance & grace ❣️

[danawakes]

Would love to hear more about Hume. Apparently, he's one of my fav philosopher's philosopher. Loving the channel. Thanks!

[raven_is_alive]

ELLIEEE GIVE US A BOOK SHELF TOURRR!!!

[janessalynna]

This is an amazing resource, thank you

[Dino_Medici]

Love all the art talk. I’m going to buy the textbook and I’m not familiar with all the readings yet to make a request. But anything on the will of the artist would be amaze.

[theotherone]

Dr. Anderson-- This is highly beneficial, and I thank you. I am an amateur artist, having only recently turned to abstraction. I have been reading Kant and studying some of the post-WW II abstract expressionists. You should consider doing a video on the philosophies (as well as his abhorrence of capitalism) of Mark Rothko. I would love to hear your take on his work, life, etc. vis-a-vis what is discussed in this video. I look forward to learning more!

[dilbyjones]

Yes ! ❤ I appreciate a different approach but glad you have spotlighted.

[helloface]

Great summary. I am not the biggest podcast fan but I may check it out after this.

[artlessons]

As a retired art teacher and artist this podcast reflects close to home .
I find many viewers and students identify with what is culturally or existentially the “ in thing “ rather than being honest with their true senses. Unfortunately many produce art from this perspective. When one says subjective l take it as coming from their own senses not identifying with a object but experiencing the moment through their art !👩‍🎨

[BarryOm]

You're the reason, I love books 📚

[BillyMcBride]

I have to say that not yet having read Hume on aesthetics, I am a bit confused, but now, because of this good way of describing Hume's points in your video, I want to find a copy of Hume's book in question.

[charliemoll]

Wow. I am literally in the middle of reading this right now. Good thing I took a procrastination break lol

[addammadd]

4:37 on Friday “by Rebecca Black” (positioning of quotes intended):

Rebecca Black did not write that song. She was a child laborer who was used by producers Clarence Jey and Patrice Wilson to perform that piece.

The aesthetic debate here seems less interesting if we regard the subjective quality of the work and much more interesting if we judge the objective merit of it as art in the first place.

To my mind, there is an objective difference between an artist practicing art and a worker crafting a product.

I am confident in saying that nothing about Friday “by Rebecca Black” constitutes art so much as it does a product and the question of good or bad is entirely irrelevant.

[benetr]

There are criteria which are applied in the valuation of excellence, truth, nobility of creation, correspondence to life. Education of emotions, cultivation of sensitiveness to the finer things of life can develop an artistic view.

[ddvnine]

Great vid, thanks. I have a question:
Isnt this universal sense of taste that allow masses of people to judge something as good or bad (such as the song example), and which presence conbined with unique deviations for each person generates most part of the taste, in contradiction with the need of eliminating prejudice for a good evaluation of a piece of art? This universal taste must be determined by time and places, no?