A Philosophical Enquiry into the Sublime and Beautiful: And Other Pre-Revolutionary Writings

One of the most influential thinkers of the eighteenth century, Edmund Burke wrote extensively on politics, society, and aesthetics. In this important work, he advances his notion that the sublime and the beautiful should be seen as two distinct and entirely unique states, the one being an expression of pleasure and tranquillity and the second being an experience inspired by dread and awe. A Philosophical Enquiry is an engaging overview of our sensory, imaginative, and judgemental processes and how they relate to appreciating the arts. It is eloquent and profound. Burke's writing had a significant impact on his contemporaries, and succeeding authors like Matthew Arnold and William Wordsworth loved it. Several of his early political writings on topics including natural society, government, and the American colonies are also included in this edition.