Bell on: Hume, Plato, and Tolstoy

Bell on Hume:  Bell presents an idea of a progressive form of Hume's ideal critic.  The main difference being this;  while Hume's true critics were depended on to convey the true values of art, Bell says otherwise.  While he certainly agrees that a select few can truly judge art for what it is worth, he says that no other person can enforce his or her view upon him.  Bell goes on to say that these critics can only point out subtleties in art that escape the casual observer.  And in shedding light on the intricacies of art, he says that through this can a critic help an observer redefine his view of the art.

Bell on Plato:  Much like Plato, Bell discusses his view of aesthetic emotion being, out of human life.  His term "significant form," certainly eludes to Plato's world of forms, the transcendent world of arts.  Bell and Plato both agree that art is in a realm altogether seperate from everyday emotions and everyday life.  Bell continues to describe this "kingdom," in which the experience of emotion and form will transport the viewer to said place, which brings us to his ultimate claim, reminiscent of Tolstoy.

Bell on Tolstoy:  Bell continues to expand upon the concept of the timelessness of art and the places that the world of art can take one, as it is not grounded in human life or human emotion.  He eventually leads to his statement that, "art might prove the world's salvation," (Bell, 269)  which screams Tolstoy.  It would only make sense that two people, who have Platonic views on the sperate realm of art, could see such a transcendent power of experience, proving the world's salvation.  In fact, seeing as Bell sees art as timeless, would that not prove, in his eyes at least, that the most unifying of all ideas on earth to be something that lasts forever?  Something that transcends culture, time, and generations of different peoples?  If you think about it, the salvation of the world only seems like the next logical step to take, for such philosophers as Tolstoy and Bell, who clearly value it so much as to place it beyond the grasp of normal human experience.