the critique of judgement-第53章

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perfection　of　the　object；　but　only　aesthetically　to　the　harmonizing　of　its　representation　in　the　imagination　with　the　essential　principles　of　judgement　generally　in　the　subject。　For　this　reason　the　judgement　of　taste；　and　the　distinction　between　its　realism　and　its　idealism；　can　only；　even　on　the　principle　of　rationalism；　depend　upon　its　subjective　finality　interpreted　in　one　or　other　of　two　ways。　Either　such　subjective　finality　is；　in　the　first　case；　a　harmony　with　our　judgement　pursued　as　an　actual　（intentional）　end　of　nature　（or　of　art）；　or　else；　in　the　second　case；　it　is　only　a　supervening　final　harmony　with　the　needs　of　our　faculty　of　judgement　in　its　relation　to　nature　and　the　forms　which　nature　produces　in　accordance　with　particular　laws；　and　one　that　is　independent　of　an　end；　spontaneous　and　contingent。　　　The　beautiful　forms　displayed　in　the　organic　world　all　plead　eloquently　on　the　side　of　the　realism　of　the　aesthetic　finality　of　nature　in　support　of　the　plausible　assumption　that　beneath　the　production　of　the　beautiful　there　must　lie　a　preconceived　idea　in　the　producing　cause…that　is　to　say　an　end　acting　in　the　interest　of　our　imagination。　Flowers；　blossoms；　even　the　shapes　of　plants　as　a　whole；　the　elegance　of　animal　formations　of　all　kinds；　unnecessary　for　the　discharge　of　any　function　on　their　part；　but　chosen　as　it　were　with　an　eye　to　our　taste；　and；　beyond　all　else；　the　variety　and　harmony　in　the　array　of　colours　（in　the　pheasant；　in　crustacea；　in　insects；　down　even　to　the　meanest　flowers）；　so　pleasing　and　charming　to　the　eyes；　but　which；　inasmuch　as　they　touch　the　bare　surf　ace；　and　do　not　even　here　in　any　way　all　act　the　structure；　of　these　creatures…a　matter　which　might　have　a　necessary　bearing　on　their　internal　ends…seem　to　be　planned　entirely　with　a　view　to　outward　appearance：　all　these　lend　great　weight　to　the　mode　of　explanation　which　assumes　actual　ends　of　nature　in　favour　of　our　aesthetic　judgement。　　　On　the　other　hand；　not　alone　does　reason；　with　its　maxims　enjoining　upon　us　in　all　cases　to　avoid；　as　far　as　possible；　any　unnecessary　multiplication　of　principles；　set　itself　against　this　assumption；　but　we　have　nature　in　its　free　formations　displaying　on　all　sides　extensive　mechanical　proclivity　to　producing　forms　seemingly　made；　as　it　were；　for　the　aesthetic　employment　of　our　judgement；　without　affording　the　least　support　to　the　supposition　of　a　need　for　anything　over　and　above　its　mechanism；　as　mere　nature；　to　enable　them　to　be　final　for　our　judgement　apart　from　their　being　grounded　upon　any　idea。　The　above　expression；　〃free　formations〃　of　nature；　is；　however；　here　used　to　denote　such　as　are　originally　set　up　in　a　fluid　at　rest　where　the　volatilization　or　separation　of　some　constituent　（sometimes　merely　of　caloric）　leaves　the　residue　on　solidification　to　assume　a　definite　shape　or　structure　（figure　or　texture）　which　differs　with　specific　differences　of　the　matter；　but　for　the　same　matter　is　invariable。　Here；　however；　it　is　taken　for　granted　that；　as　the　true　meaning　of　a　fluid　requires；　the　matter　in　the　fluid　is　completely　dissolved　and　not　a　mere　admixture　of　solid　particles　simply　held　there　in　suspension。　　　The　formation；　then；　takes　place　by　a　concursion；　i。e。；　by　a　sudden　solidification…　not　by　a　gradual　transition　from　the　fluid　to　the　solid　state；　but；　as　it　were；　by　a　leap。　This　transition　is　termed　crystallization。　Freezing　water　offers　the　most　familiar　instance　of　a　formation　of　this　kind。　There　the　process　begins　by　straight　threads　of　ice　forming。　These　unite　at　angles　of　60〃；　whilst　others　similarly　attach　themselves　to　them　at　every　point　until　the　whole　has　turned　into　ice。　But　while　this　is　going　on；　the　water　between　the　threads　of　ice　does　not　keep　getting　gradually　more　viscous；　but　remains　as　thoroughly　fluid　as　it　would　be　at　a　much　higher　temperature；　although　it　is　perfectly　ice…cold。　The　matter　that　frees　itself　that　makes　its　sudden　escape　at　the　moment　of　solidification…is　a　considerable　quantum　of　caloric。　As　this　was　merely　required　to　preserve　fluidity；　its　disappearance　leaves　the　existing　ice　not　a　whit　colder　than　the　water　which　but　a　moment　before　was　there　as　fluid。　　　There　are　many　salts　and　also　stones　of　a　crystalline　figure　which　owe　their　origin　in　like　manner　to　some　earthly　substance　being　dissolved　in　water　under　the　influence　of　agencies　little　understood。　The　drusy　configurations　of　many　minerals；　of　the　cubical　sulphide　of　lead；　of　the　red　silver　ore；　etc。；　are　presumably　also　similarly　formed　in　water；　and　by　the　concursion　of　their　particles；　on　their　being　forced　by　some　cause　or　other　to　relinquish　this　vehicle　and　to　unite　among　themselves　in　definite　external　shapes。　　　But；　further；　all　substances　rendered　fluid　by　heat；　which　have　become　solid　as　the　result　of　cooling；　give；　when　broken；　internal　evidences　of　a　definite　texture；　thus　suggesting　the　inference　that　only　for　the　interference　of　their　own　weight　or　the　disturbance　of　the　air；　the　exterior　would　also　have　exhibited　their　proper　specific　shape。　This　has　been　observed　in　the　case　of　some　metals　where　the　exterior　of　a　molten　mass　has　hardened；　but　the　interior　remained　fluid；　and　then。　owing　to　the　withdrawal　of　the　still　fluid　portion　in　the　interior；　there　has　been　an　undisturbed　concursion　of　the　remaining　parts　on　the　inside。　A　number　of　such　mineral　crystallizations；　such　as　spars；　hematite；　aragonite；　frequently　present　extremely　beautiful　shapes　such　as　it　might　take　art　all　its　time　to　devise；　and　the　halo　in　the　grotto　of　Antiparos　is　merely　the　work　of　water　percolating　through　strata　of　gypsum。　　　The　fluid　state　is；　to　all　appearance；　on　the　whole　older　than　the　solid；　and　plants　as　well　as　animal　bodies　are　built　up　out　of　fluid　nutritive　substance；　so　far　as　this　takes　form　undisturbed…in　the　case　of　the　latter；　admittedly；　in　obedience；　primarily；　to　a　certain　original　bent　of　nature　directed　to　ends　（which；　as　will　be　shown　in　Part　II；　must　not　be　judged　aesthetically；　but　teleologically　by　the　principle　of　realism）；　but　still　all　the　while；　perhaps；　also　following　the　universal　law　of　the　affinity　of　substances　in　the　way　they　shoot　together　and　form　in　freedom。　In　the　same　way；　again；　where　an　atmosphere；　which　is　a　composite　of　different　kinds　of　gas；　is　charged　with　watery　fluids；　and　these　separate　from　it　owing　to　a　reduction　of　the　temperature；　they　produce　snow…figures　of　shapes　differing　with　the　actual　composition　of　the　atmosphere。　These　are　frequently　of　very　artistic　appearance　and　of　extreme　beauty。　So　without　at　all　derogating　from　the　teleological　principle　by　which　an　organization　is　judged；　it　is　readily　conceivable　how　with　beauty　of　flowers；　of　the　plumage　of　birds；　of　crustacea；　both　as　to　their　shape　and　their　colour；　we　have　only　what　may　be　ascribed　to　nature　and　its　capacity　for　originating　in　free　activity　aesthetically　final　forms；　independently　of　any　particular　guiding　ends；　according　to　chemical　laws；　by　means　of　the　chemical　integration　of　the　substance　requisite　for　the　organization。　　　But　what　shows　plainly　that　the　principle　of　the　ideality　of　the　finality　in　the　beauty　of　nature　is　the　one　upon　which　we　ourselves　invariably　take　our　stand　in　our　aesthetic　judgements；　forbidding　us　to　have　recourse　to　any　realism　of　a　natural　end　in　favour　of　our　faculty　of　representation　as　a　principle　of　explanation；　is　that　in　our　general　estimate　of　beauty　we　seek　its　standard　a　priori　in　ourselves；　and；　that　the　aesthetic　faculty　is　itself　legislative　in　respect　of　the　judgement　whether　anything　is　beautiful　or　not。　This　could　not　be　so　on　the　assumption　of　a　realism　of　the　finality　of　nature；　because　in　that　case　we　should　have　to　go　to　nature　for　instruction　as　to　what　we　should　deem　beautiful；　and　the　judgement　of　taste　would　be　subject　to　empirical　principles。　For　in　such　an　estimate　the　question　does　not　turn　on　what　nature　is；　or　even　on　what　it　is　for　us　in　the　way　of　an　end；　but　on　how　we　receive　it。　For　nature　to　have　fashioned　its　forms　for　our　delight　would　inevitably　imply　an　objective　finality　on　the　part　of　nature；　instead　of　a　subjective　finality　resting　on　the　play　of　imagination　in　its　freedom；　where　it　is　we　who　receive　nature　with　favour；　and