Aesthetica

Latin: Aesthetica (theoria liberalium artium, gnoseologia inferior, ars pulcre cogitandi, ars analogi rationis) est scientia cognitionis sensitivae.

English: Aesthetics (the theory of the liberal arts, lower gnoseology, the art of thinking beautifully, the art of the analogue of reason) is the science of sensitive cognition.

Latin: Naturalis facultatum cognoscitivarum inferiorum gradus solo usu citra disciplinam culturam auctus aesthetica naturalis dici potest, et distingui, sicut logica naturalis solet, in connatam, ingenium pulcrum connatum, et acquisitam, et haec denuo in docentem et utentem.

English: The natural degree of the lower cognitive faculties, increased by use alone without disciplined cultivation, can be called natural aesthetics and distinguished, as natural logic usually is, into an innate form, an innate beautiful genius, and an acquired form, and this latter again into a teaching and a using form.

Latin: Ad naturalem accedentis artificialis aesthetices, § 1, usus inter alios maior erit 1) scientiis intellectu potissimum cognoscendis bonam materiam parare, 2) scientifice cognita captui quorumvis accommodare, 3) cognitionis emendationem etiam extra distincte cognoscendorum a nobis pomoeria proferre, 4) bona principia studiis omnibus mansuetioribus artibusque liberalibus subministrare, 5) in vita communi, caetera si paria fuerint, in agendis rebus omnibus praestare.

English: The use, greater among others, of artificial aesthetics acceding to natural aesthetics, § 1, will be: 1) to prepare good material for the sciences to be known chiefly by the intellect; 2) to adapt things known scientifically to the grasp of anyone; 3) to carry the correction of cognition even beyond the boundaries of things distinctly knowable by us; 4) to supply good principles to all more humane studies and liberal arts; 5) in common life, if other things are equal, to excel in all matters to be done.

Latin: Hinc usus speciales, 1) philologicus, 2) hermeneuticus, 3) exegeticus, 4) rhetoricus, 5) homileticus, 6) poeticus, 7) musicus, e.c.

English: Hence special uses: 1) philological, 2) hermeneutic, 3) exegetical, 4) rhetorical, 5) homiletic, 6) poetic, 7) musical, etc.

Latin: Obiici posset nostrae scientiae, § 1, 1) eam nimis late patere, quam ut uno libello, una acroasi possit exhauriri.

English: It could be objected against our science, § 1: 1) that it extends too broadly for it to be able to be exhausted in one little book, one lecture-course.

Latin: Resp. concedendo.

English: Response: by conceding.

Latin: Sed praestat aliquid nihilo;

English: But something is better than nothing.

Latin: 2) eam eandem esse cum rhetorica et poëtica.

English: 2) That it is the same as rhetoric and poetics.

Latin: Resp. a) latius patet, b) complectitur his cum aliis artibus, ac inter se communia, quibus heic loco convenienti, semel perspectis quaelibet ars sine tautologiis inutilibus suum fundum felicius colat.

English: Response: a) it extends more broadly; b) it comprises the things common to these with other arts, and among themselves; when these have once been seen here in a suitable place, any art may cultivate its own ground more happily, without useless tautologies.

Latin: 3) Eandem esse cum critica.

English: 3) That it is the same as criticism.

Latin: Resp. a) est etiam critica logica, b) quaedam critices species est pars aesthetices, c) huic praenotio quaedam aesthetices reliquae paene necessaria est, nisi velit in diiudicandis pulcre cogitatis, dictis, scriptis disputare de meris gustibus.

English: Response: a) there is also logical criticism; b) a certain species of criticism is part of aesthetics; c) for this, a certain preliminary notion of the rest of aesthetics is almost necessary, unless one wants, in judging things beautifully thought, said, and written, to dispute about mere tastes.

Latin: Obiici posset nostrae scientiae 4) indigna philosophis et infra horizontem eorum esse posita sensitiva, phantasmata, fabulas, affectuum perturbationes, e. c.

English: It could be objected to our science, 4) that sensory things, phantasms, fables, disturbances of the affects, etc., are unworthy of philosophers and placed beneath their horizon.

Latin: Resp. a) philosophus homo est inter homines, neque bene tantam humanae cognitionis partem alienam a se putat, b) confunditur theoria pulcre cogitatorum generalis et praxis ac exsequutio singularis.

English: Response: a) the philosopher is a human being among human beings, and does not rightly consider so great a part of human cognition alien to himself; b) the general theory of things beautifully thought is confused with practice and singular execution.

Latin: Obi. 5) confusio mater erroris.

English: Objection, 5) confusion is the mother of error.

Latin: Resp. a) sed conditio, sine qua non, inveniendae veritatis, ubi natura non facit saltum ex obscuritate in distinctionem.

English: Response: a) but it is a condition without which truth is not found, where nature does not make a leap from obscurity into distinctness.

Latin: Ex nocte per auroram meridies.

English: From night, through dawn, comes noon.

Latin: b) Ideo curanda est confusio, ne inde errores, quot et quanti penes incurios,

English: b) Therefore confusion must be cared for, lest errors come from it, as many and as great as among the careless.

Latin: c) non commendatur confusio, sed cognitio emendatur, quatenus illi necessario admixtum est aliquid confusionis.

English: c) Confusion is not recommended; rather, cognition is corrected, insofar as something of confusion is necessarily mixed with it.

Latin: Obi. 6) cognitio distincta praestat.

English: Objection, 6) distinct cognition is preferable.

Latin: Resp. a) Apud finitum spiritum tantum in gravioribus, b) unius positio non est alterius exclusio, c) ideo secundum regulas distincte cognitas directum imus pulcre cognoscenda primum; ex quibus eo perfectior aliquando surgat distinctio, §§ 3, 7.

English: Response: a) with a finite spirit, only in weightier matters; b) the positing of one is not the exclusion of the other; c) therefore, according to distinctly known rules, we go first, directed, to things to be known beautifully; from these a sometimes more perfect distinctness may arise, §§ 3, 7.

Latin: Obi. 7) Per culturam analogi rationis, verendum est, ne quid detrimenti capiat rationis et soliditatis territorium.

English: Objection, 7) through the cultivation of the analogue of reason, it is to be feared that the territory of reason and solidity may suffer some harm.

Latin: Resp. a) hoc argumentum est in plus probantibus, quia idem periculum est, quotiescunque perfectio composita quaeritur; ad cautionem incitans, non neglectum verae perfectionis suadens.

English: Response: a) this argument is among those proving too much, because the same danger exists whenever a composite perfection is sought; it urges caution, not neglect of true perfection.

Latin: b) Incultum et corruptius analogon rationis non minus officit rationi severiorique soliditati.

English: b) An uncultivated and more corrupt analogue of reason harms reason and stricter solidity no less.

Latin: Obi. 8) Aesthetica ars est, non scientia.

English: Objection, 8) aesthetics is an art, not a science.

Latin: Resp. a) Hi non sunt oppositi habitus.

English: Response: a) these are not opposed habits.

Latin: Quot olim artes tantum iam sunt simul scientiae?

English: How many things that were formerly only arts are now at the same time sciences?

Latin: b) nostram artem demonstrari posse, probabit experientia, patet a priori, quia psychologia e. c. suppeditant certa principia, mereri eandem, ut elevetur in scientiam, docent usus, in aliis, §§ 3, 4 commemorati.

English: b) experience will prove that our art can be demonstrated; it is evident a priori, because psychology, etc., supply certain principles, and the uses mentioned, among others, in §§ 3, 4 teach that this same art deserves to be raised into a science.