But the inner and most important distinction between the Sublime
and Beautiful is, certainly, as follows. (Here, as we are entitled
to do, we only bring under consideration in the first instance the
sublime in natural Objects; for the sublime of Art is always limited
by the conditions of agreement with Nature.) Natural beauty (which is
self-subsisting) brings with it a purposiveness in its form by which
the object seems to be, as it were, pre-adapted to our Judgement, and
thus constitutes in itself an object of satisfaction. On the other
hand, that which excites in us, without any reasoning about it, but in
the mere apprehension of it, the feeling of the sublime, may appear as
regards its form to violate purpose in respect of the Judgement, to be
unsuited to our presentative faculty, and, as it were, to do violence
to the Imagination; and yet it is judged to be only the more sublime.
Now from this we may see that in general we express ourselves
incorrectly if we call any _object of nature_ sublime, although we can
quite correctly call many objects of nature beautiful. For how can that
be marked by an expression of approval, which is apprehended in itself
as being a violation of purpose? All that we can say is that the object
is fit for the presentation of a sublimity which can be found in the
mind; for no sensible form can contain the sublime properly so-called.
This concerns only Ideas of the Reason, which, although no adequate
presentation is possible for them, by this inadequacy that admits of
sensible presentation, are aroused and summoned into the mind. Thus the
wide ocean, agitated by the storm, cannot be called sublime. Its aspect
is horrible; and the mind must be already filled with manifold Ideas
if it is to be determined by such an intuition to a feeling itself
sublime, as it is incited to abandon sensibility and to busy itself
with Ideas that involve higher purposiveness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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