Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime

1. The Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime Resides Within

The various feelings of enjoyment or of displeasure rest not so much upon the nature of the external things that arouse them as upon each person’s own disposition to be moved by these to pleasure or pain.

Subjective experience. Kant emphasizes that our experience of beauty and sublimity is not solely determined by external objects, but rather by our individual disposition and sensitivity. What one person finds beautiful, another may find indifferent or even repulsive. This subjectivity is a key aspect of Kant's aesthetic theory.

Scale of pleasures. Kant proposes a scale of pleasures, ranging from coarse sensual delights to the finest intellectual joys. The feelings of beauty and sublimity occupy a middle ground, requiring cultivation and sensitivity to be fully appreciated. Not everyone is capable of experiencing these finer feelings to the same degree.

Endowment and cultivation. Our capacity to experience pleasure, including the finer feelings of beauty and sublimity, is an innate endowment. However, cultivation and refinement are necessary to fully realize this potential. Education, experience, and exposure to art and nature can all contribute to the development of our aesthetic sensibilities.

2. Sublime Arouses Awe, Beautiful Arouses Joy

The sublime moves, the beautiful charms.

Distinct emotional responses. Kant distinguishes between the emotional responses elicited by the sublime and the beautiful. The sublime evokes feelings of awe, admiration, and even a certain degree of dread, while the beautiful inspires joy, pleasure, and a sense of harmony. These distinct emotional qualities are central to Kant's aesthetic categories.

Examples of the sublime:

• Mountains with snow-covered peaks rising above the clouds
• Raging storms
• Milton's portrayal of the infernal kingdom
• Tall oaks and lonely shadows in a sacred grove
• Night

Examples of the beautiful:

• Flower-strewn meadows
• Valleys with winding brooks and grazing flocks
• Descriptions of Elysium
• Homer's portrayal of the girdle of Venus
• Flower beds, low hedges, and trees trimmed in figures
• Day

The sublime is associated with greatness, simplicity, and a sense of the infinite, while the beautiful is characterized by smallness, ornamentation, and ephemerality.

3. Sublime Attributes Inspire Esteem, Beautiful Ones Inspire Love

Sublime attributes stimulate esteem, but beautiful ones, love.

Moral qualities and feelings. Kant connects the feelings of the sublime and the beautiful to specific moral qualities. Sublime attributes, such as understanding, courage, and unselfish zeal, inspire esteem and respect. Beautiful attributes, such as wit, artfulness, and graciousness, inspire love and affection.

Social interactions. Our preferences for friends and companions are influenced by these feelings. We seek sincere and steadfast friends in times of need, valuing their sublime qualities of honesty and reliability. For company and amusement, we prefer jesting, agreeable, and courteous companions, appreciating their beautiful qualities of wit and charm.

Tragedy vs. Comedy. Kant distinguishes between tragedy and comedy based on the feelings they evoke. Tragedy stirs the feeling for the sublime, portraying magnanimous sacrifices, bold resolutions, and proven loyalty. Comedy stirs the feeling for the beautiful, setting forth delicate intrigues, prodigious entanglements, and amusing characters.

4. Virtue is Sublime, Goodness is Beautiful

True virtue alone is sublime.

Moral hierarchy. Kant establishes a hierarchy of moral qualities, with true virtue occupying the highest position as sublime. Goodness, characterized by sympathy and complaisance, is considered beautiful but not as elevated as virtue. The distinction lies in the grounding of actions: virtue is based on universal principles, while goodness is driven by immediate impulses.

Adoptive virtues. Sympathy and complaisance are described as "adoptive virtues," as they are ennobled by their relationship to true virtue. These qualities are beautiful and charming, but they lack the grounding in principle that makes virtue sublime and venerable. A kind heart is goodhearted, but a noble heart is righteous.

The role of honor. Kant acknowledges the role of the sense of honor in motivating moral behavior. While actions driven by the desire for recognition are not genuinely virtuous, they can still contribute to the overall beauty and dignity of moral nature. The semblance of virtue motivated by honor is called the "gloss of virtue."

5. Melancholy Temperament Favors the Sublime, Sanguine Favors the Beautiful

A profound feeling for the beauty and dignity of human nature and a firmness and determination of the mind to refer all one’s actions to this as to a universal ground is earnest, and does not at all join with a changeable gaiety nor with the inconstancy of a frivolous person.

Temperaments and feelings. Kant correlates the feelings of the sublime and the beautiful with the four classical temperaments: melancholy, sanguine, choleric, and phlegmatic. The melancholy temperament, characterized by earnestness and a focus on principles, is most aligned with the sublime. The sanguine temperament, known for its changeability and love of amusement, is most aligned with the beautiful.

Choleric and phlegmatic. The choleric temperament is associated with the "splendid," a superficial appearance of sublimity. The phlegmatic temperament, lacking in strong emotions, exhibits little discernible feeling for either the sublime or the beautiful. These correlations are not deterministic, but rather reflect tendencies and affinities.

Moral character. The interplay of temperament and finer feelings shapes moral character. The melancholy individual is resolute and principled, while the sanguine individual is goodhearted and benevolent. The choleric individual is concerned with reputation and appearances, while the phlegmatic individual is apathetic and indifferent.

6. Women Embody the Beautiful, Men the Sublime

Women have a strong inborn feeling for all that is beautiful, elegant, and decorated.

Gendered aesthetics. Kant ascribes distinct aesthetic qualities to men and women. Women are characterized as the "fair sex," embodying the beautiful through their delicate features, engaging demeanor, and love of adornment. Men are characterized as the "noble sex," embodying the sublime through their strength, understanding, and capacity for reason.

Complementary roles. These gendered aesthetics are not meant to be hierarchical, but rather complementary. Women's beauty refines and civilizes men, while men's sublimity provides guidance and stability. Education and instruction should aim to enhance these distinct qualities, rather than blurring the lines between them.

Virtue and understanding. Women's virtue is described as "beautiful virtue," driven by a sense of what is morally pleasing rather than a strict adherence to duty. Men's virtue is "noble virtue," grounded in principles and a commitment to universal moral laws. Women's understanding is "beautiful understanding," focused on the finer feelings and human relationships, while men's understanding is "deep understanding," capable of abstract speculation and profound knowledge.

7. The Beautiful Understanding Selects, The Deep Understanding Analyzes

The beautiful understanding selects for its objects everything closely related to the finer feeling, and relinquishes to the diligent, fundamental, and deep understanding abstract speculations or branches of knowledge useful but dry.

Distinct intellectual domains. Kant delineates separate intellectual domains suited to the "beautiful understanding" of women and the "deep understanding" of men. Women excel in areas related to finer feelings, such as human relationships, social interactions, and aesthetic appreciation. Men excel in abstract speculation, scientific inquiry, and practical knowledge.

Appropriate education. Education for women should focus on broadening their moral feeling and cultivating their taste, rather than burdening them with laborious learning or painful pondering. History and geography should be taught through the lens of human character and cultural differences, rather than battles and fortresses. The goal is to refine their sensitivity and enhance their capacity for moral judgment.

Avoiding perversion. Kant cautions against perverting the natural inclinations of women by encouraging them to pursue intellectual pursuits that are more suited to men. A woman who fills her head with Greek or engages in fundamental controversies about mechanics risks destroying the merits that are proper to her sex. The key is to cultivate their beautiful nature, rather than forcing them into a masculine mold.

8. The Goal: Ennoble Men, Beautify Women

In matrimonial life the united pair should, as it were, constitute a single moral person, which is animated and governed by the understanding of the man and the taste of the wife.

Mutual influence. Kant explores the influence that men and women can have on each other's aesthetic and moral development. Women have a superior feeling for the beautiful, particularly as it pertains to themselves, while men have a superior feeling for the sublime, particularly as it is manifested in other men. This creates a dynamic of mutual influence, where each sex can help to refine and elevate the other.

Ennobling men. The sexual inclination can be a powerful force for ennobling men, if women are educated to properly value the sublime qualities of the male sex. By disdaining trifling fops and rewarding genuine merit, women can encourage men to cultivate their understanding, courage, and commitment to principles. This requires a development of their moral feeling and a capacity to discern true worth.

Beautifying women. Men, in turn, can help to beautify women by appreciating their natural charms and encouraging them to cultivate their taste, politeness, and good manners. By valuing their beauty and grace, men can inspire women to refine their demeanor and enhance their capacity for social harmony. The goal is to create a virtuous cycle of mutual influence, where each sex contributes to the aesthetic and moral perfection of the other.

9. National Character Reflects a Predominant Aesthetic Feeling

Of the peoples of our part of the world, in my opinion those who distinguish themselves among all others by the feeling for the beautiful are the Italians and the French, but by the feeling for the sublime, the Germans, English, and Spanish.

Aesthetic geography. Kant attempts to map the aesthetic landscape of Europe, assigning distinct feelings for the beautiful and the sublime to different nations. The Italians and French are characterized by their feeling for the beautiful, while the Germans, English, and Spanish are distinguished by their feeling for the sublime. Holland is seen as a land where the finer taste is largely unnoticeable.

Moral and cultural expressions. These national aesthetic preferences are reflected in various aspects of culture, including art, literature, and social customs. The French excel in comedy, satire, and lighthearted wit, while the English are known for their tragedy, epic poetry, and profound thoughts. The Spanish are characterized by their adventurous spirit and sense of honor, while the Germans combine elements of both the beautiful and the sublime.

Stereotypes and generalizations. Kant acknowledges that these are generalizations and that each nation contains individuals who embody a variety of aesthetic qualities. However, he argues that certain dominant tendencies can be discerned in the national character, shaping the overall cultural landscape. These observations are intended to be suggestive rather than definitive.

10. The Secret of Education: Cultivate Finer Tastes

In view of the weakness of human nature and of the little force which the universal moral feeling would exercise over most hearts, Providence has placed in us as supplements to virtue assisting drives, which, as they move some of us even without principles, can also give to others who are ruled by these latter a greater thrust and a stronger impulse toward beautiful actions.

Moral supplements. Kant recognizes the limitations of human nature and the weakness of universal moral feeling. To compensate for these deficiencies, Providence has placed within us "assisting drives" that supplement virtue and motivate us toward beautiful actions. These drives, such as sympathy, complaisance, and the sense of honor, can provide a greater thrust and a stronger impulse toward moral behavior.

Adoptive virtues and gloss. Sympathy and complaisance are described as "adoptive virtues," as they are ennobled by their relationship to true virtue. The semblance of virtue motivated by honor is called the "gloss of virtue." These qualities, while not as elevated as virtue itself, can still contribute to the overall beauty and dignity of moral nature.

The role of education. Kant expresses a hope for the discovery of the secret of education that will enable men to cultivate the finer tastes and maintain a true appreciation of the sublime and the beautiful. This education would aim to refine our sensibilities, broaden our moral feeling, and inspire us to act in accordance with the principles of virtue. The ultimate goal is to create a society where beauty and dignity are valued and where individuals are motivated to pursue moral perfection.

Last updated: February 25, 2025