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

THE ETHICALFALLACY 125

Theattack

ismetontheothersidebyacontuma-

cious brevity of argument, appropriate indeed to

martyrdom,
but hardly convincing to the mind.

'

The spheres

of ethics and aesthetics are totally

distinct: ethicalcriticismisirrelevant
to

art.' This,

together
with some manner of diatribe against

Rusldn,

is allthat is vouchsafed in reply when, as

now, fashion veers for a moment, and with more

ardour

than understanding, in the direction ofour

Georgian manners.

'

Ethical criticism is irrelevant

to

art.' Noproposition

could wellbe

less

obvious.

None,weshallseereasontoadmit,couldbelesstrue.

Butoneconfusionbegetsanother,andthisaxiom,too,

nowaddsits

darkness

tothedimregionwherethecon-

troversiesofarchitecturearesorrowfullyconducted.

Theethicalcasedeservesacloserstudyanda

less

summaryretort.

First, then, for the origins of our habit. The

ethical tendencyincriticismisconsequentuponthe

two we have already discussed. The Romantic

Fallacy paved the way for it. The Mechanical

Fallacyprovokedit.

Theessentialfallacyofromanticismwas,wesaw,

I

that ittreated

architecturalformasprimarilysym-

bolic.

Nowthereisevidentlynoreasonwhyanart

j

ofform,ifitberegarded

assignificativeatall,should

'

have its meaning limited to

an

cssthetic

reference.