The architecture of humanism; a study in the history of taste

250

THE ARCHITECTURE

OF HUMANISM

unpractised in intellectual logic, is

not allowed to

basehis

preferenceswhereinfactthey

stand,namely,

on intuition confirmed by past

authority. What

mustbehisreplywhencompelledto

justifyhiscreed?

Hemustsnatchat

currentphrasesthatseemtolend

sanctiontohistaste,andplaceitundertheprotection

ofotherstandards

than those whichare effectively

hisown. Thisdone,hewillresumeuponthe

instant

his

unconscious obedience to deep instincts which

thosephraseshavepassedby.

Hisapologia,falseas

adescription ofhisown case,is then employedto

confirmexternaltheoriesofart. Yet

theartist'sown

workwashismodeofthought,hisnaturalanswer

;

toask

him

totranslateitinto

thereason'stermsis

a

'

leading' question: it is more—^it is the question

begged.

Finally supervenesthe abstract philosopher. He

realisestheexistenceoftheproblem

; but

heismore

concernedwith

completing

thepatternofhisthought

than withthe accurate descriptionofacomplexof

emotionswhichhe

imperfectlyapprehends. Hegrasps

inevitablyatthosephenomenaofartwhichserveto

confirm

the

naturalbias

of

his

speculations

;

andso

varied and

subtle are the combinations of artistic

experience, sointerfused also with

elements wholly

alientoitself,

thathewillnotfailtodiscoverenough

tosuithiscase. Thus, inthemind

ofthe absolute

philosopher,but

perhapsinnootherregion,thearts