CHAPTER V

THE RELATION OF POSITIVISM TO ART 304

Positivism when complete is as favourable to Imagination, as, when incomplete, it was unfavourable to it--Esthetic talent is for the adornment of life, not for its government--The political influence of literary men a deplorable sign and source of anarchy--Theory of Art--Art is the idealized representation of Fact--Poetry is intermediate between Philosophy and Polity--Art calls each element of our nature into harmonious action--Three stages in the esthetic process: Imitation, Idealization, Expression--Classification of the arts on the principle of decreasing generality, and increasing intensity--Poetry--Music--Painting. Sculpture. Architecture--The conditions favourable to Art have never yet been combined--Neither in Polytheism--Nor under the Mediæval system--Much less in modern times--Under Positivism the conditions will all be favourable. There will be fixed principles, and a nobler moral culture--Predisposing influence of Education--Relation of Art to Religion--Idealization of historical types--Art requires the highest education; but little special instruction--Artists as a class will disappear. Their function will be appropriated by the philosophic priesthood--Identity of esthetic and scientific genius--Women’s poetry--People’s poetry--Value of Art in the present crisis--Construction of normal types on the basis furnished by philosophy--Pictures of the Future of Man--Contrasts with the Past.