Genius:—its attribute is creative power.—Refutation of the
opinion that art is the imitation of nature—M. Emeric David, and
M. Quatremère de Quincy.—Refutation of the theory of illusion.
That dramatic art has not solely for its end to excite the
passions of terror and pity.—Nor even directly the moral and
religious sentiment.—The proper and direct object of art is to
produce the idea and the sentiment of the beautiful; this idea
and this sentiment purify and elevate the soul by the affinity
between the beautiful and the good, and by the relation of ideal
beauty to its principle, which is God.—True mission of art.
Expression is the general law of art.—Division of
arts.—Distinction between liberal arts and trades.—Eloquence
itself, philosophy, and history do not make a part of the fine
arts.—That the arts gain nothing by encroaching upon each other,
and usurping each other's means and processes.—Classification of
the arts:—its true principle is expression.—Comparison of arts
with each other.—Poetry the first of arts.
Expression not only serves to appreciate the different arts, but
the different schools of art. Example:—French art in the
seventeenth century. French poetry:—Corneille. Racine. Molière.
La Fontaine. Boileau.—Painting:—Lesueur. Poussin. Le Lorrain.
Champagne.—Engraving.—Sculpture:—Sarrazin. The Anguiers.
Girardon. Pujet.—Le Nôtre.—Architecture.
Extent of the question of the good.—Position of the question
according to the psychological method: What is, in regard to the
good, the natural belief of mankind?—The natural beliefs of
humanity must not be sought in a pretended state of
nature.—Study of the sentiments and ideas of men in languages,
in life, in consciousness.—Disinterestedness and
devotedness.—Liberty.—Esteem and
contempt.—Respect.—Admiration and
indignation.—Dignity.—Empire of opinion.—Ridicule.—Regret and
repentance.—Natural and necessary foundations of all
justice.—Distinction between fact and right.—Common sense, true
and false philosophy.