A Philosophical Inquiry into the origin of our ideas of

The Sublime and Beautiful

with an introductory discourse concerning Taste, and several other additions

by

Edmund Burke

eBooks@Adelaide
2007

The first edition of this work was published in 1756; the second with large additions, in the year 1757.

This web edition published by eBooks@Adelaide.

Rendered into HTML by Steve Thomas.

Last updated Friday April 13 2007.

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Table of Contents

PREFACE.

INTRODUCTION.

PART I.

  1. NOVELTY.
  2. PAIN AND PLEASURE.
  3. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REMOVAL OF PAIN AND POSITIVE PLEASURE.
  4. OF DELIGHT AND PLEASURE, AS OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER.
  5. JOY AND GRIEF.
  6. OF THE PASSIONS WHICH BELONG TO SELF-PRESERVATION.
  7. OF THE SUBLIME.
  8. OF THE PASSIONS WHICH BELONG TO SOCIETY.
  9. THE FINAL CAUSE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PASSIONS BELONGING TO SELF-PRESERVATION AND THOSE WHICH REGARD THE SOCIETY OF THE SEXES.
  10. OF BEAUTY.
  11. SOCIETY AND SOLITUDE.
  12. SYMPATHY, IMITATION, AND AMBITION.
  13. SYMPATHY.
  14. THE EFFECTS OF SYMPATHY IN THE DISTRESSES OF OTHERS.
  15. OF THE EFFECTS OF TRAGEDY.
  16. IMITATION.
  17. AMBITION.
  18. THE RECAPITULATION.
  19. THE CONCLUSION.

PART II.

  1. OF THE PASSION CAUSED BY THE SUBLIME.
  2. TERROR.
  3. OBSCURITY.
  4. OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLEARNESS AND OBSCURITY WITH REGARD TO THE PASSIONS.
  5. THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.
  6. POWER.
  7. PRIVATION.
  8. VASTNESS.
  9. INFINITY.
  10. SUCCESSION AND UNIFORMITY.
  11. MAGNITUDE IN BUILDING.
  12. INFINITY IN PLEASING OBJECTS.
  13. DIFFICULTY.
  14. MAGNIFICENCE.
  15. LIGHT.
  16. LIGHT IN BUILDING.
  17. COLOR CONSIDERED AS PRODUCTIVE OF THE SUBLIME.
  18. SOUND AND LOUDNESS.
  19. SUDDENNESS.
  20. INTERMITTING.
  21. THE CRIES OF ANIMALS.
  22. SMELL AND TASTE.—BITTERS AND STENCHES.
  23. FEELING.—PAIN.

PART III.

  1. OF BEAUTY.
  2. PROPORTION NOT THE CAUSE OF BEAUTY IN VEGETABLES.
  3. PROPORTION NOT THE CAUSE OF BEAUTY IN ANIMALS.
  4. PROPORTION NOT THE CAUSE OF BEAUTY IN THE HUMAN SPECIES.
  5. PROPORTION FURTHER CONSIDERED.
  6. FITNESS NOT THE CAUSE OF BEAUTY.
  7. THE REAL EFFECTS OF FITNESS.
  8. THE RECAPITULATION.
  9. PERFECTION NOT THE CAUSE OF BEAUTY.
  10. HOW FAR THE IDEA OF BEAUTY MAY BE APPLIED TO THE QUALITIES OF THE MIND.
  11. HOW FAR THE IDEA OF BEAUTY MAY BE APPLIED TO VIRTUE.
  12. THE REAL CAUSE OF BEAUTY.
  13. BEAUTIFUL OBJECTS SMALL.
  14. SMOOTHNESS.
  15. GRADUAL VARIATION.
  16. DELICACY.
  17. BEAUTY IN COLOR.
  18. RECAPITULATION.
  19. THE PHYSIOGNOMY.
  20. THE EYE.
  21. UGLINESS.
  22. GRACE.
  23. ELEGANCE AND SPECIOUSNESS.
  24. THE BEAUTIFUL IN FEELING.
  25. THE BEAUTIFUL IN SOUNDS.
  26. TASTE AND SMELL.
  27. THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL COMPARED.

PART IV.

  1. OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL.
  2. ASSOCIATION.
  3. CAUSE OF PAIN AND FEAR.
  4. CONTINUED.
  5. HOW THE SUBLIME IS PRODUCED.
  6. HOW PAIN CAN BE A CAUSE OF DELIGHT.
  7. EXERCISE NECESSARY FOR THE FINER ORGANS.
  8. WHY THINGS NOT DANGEROUS SOMETIMES PRODUCE A PASSION LIKE TERROR.
  9. WHY VISUAL OBJECTS OF GREAT DIMENSIONS ARE SUBLIME.
  10. UNITY WHY REQUISITE TO VASTNESS.
  11. THE ARTIFICIAL INFINITE.
  12. THE VIBRATIONS MUST BE SIMILAR.
  13. THE EFFECTS OF SUCCESSION IN VISUAL OBJECTS EXPLAINED.
  14. LOCKE’S OPINION CONCERNING DARKNESS CONSIDERED.
  15. DARKNESS TERRIBLE IN ITS OWN NATURE.
  16. WHY DARKNESS IS TERRIBLE.
  17. THE EFFECTS OF BLACKNESS.
  18. THE EFFECTS OF BLACKNESS MODERATED.
  19. THE PHYSICAL CAUSE OF LOVE.
  20. WHY SMOOTHNESS IS BEAUTIFUL.
  21. SWEETNESS, ITS NATURE.
  22. SWEETNESS RELAXING.
  23. VARIATION, WHY BEAUTIFUL.
  24. CONCERNING SMALLNESS.
  25. OF COLOR.

PART V.

  1. OF WORDS.
  2. THE COMMON EFFECTS OF POETRY, NOT BY RAISING IDEAS OF THINGS.
  3. GENERAL WORDS BEFORE IDEAS.
  4. THE EFFECT OF WORDS.
  5. EXAMPLES THAT WORDS MAY AFFECT WITHOUT RAISING IMAGES.
  6. POETRY NOT STRICTLY AN IMITATIVE ART.
  7. HOW WORDS INFLUENCE THE PASSIONS.
Table of Contents Next

Last updated on Fri Apr 13 17:30:05 2007 for eBooks@Adelaide.