David Hume Makes A True Judge

David Hume has established in “Of the Standard of Taste” ideas in which he believes makes a true judge. “The great variety of taste, as well as opinion, which prevails in the world, is too obvious not to have fallen under every one’s observation” (255). Here Hume begins that in this world there are thousands upon thousands of opinions on what is beauty and we define what is beautiful through taste. All men however think differently about what makes something beautiful and often will rely on outside influences to make their judgment, which in return creates an unreliable judge as Hume would agree. Hume establishes certain characteristics which a true judge would possess including delicacy, good sense, practice, prejudice, and comparisons. Hume

Hume believing we should have the ability to taste all the ingredients of a composition. “Where the organs are so fine, as to allow nothing to escape them; and at the same time so exact as to perceive every ingredient in the composition: This we call delicacy of taste…” (260). In Hume’s anecdote of Sancho’s Kinsmen he mentions the two tasting wine and each making their judgment on its taste. While one gives a slight opinion of tasting leather announcing it to be good, the other receiving also a good taste but detecting a taste of iron. Upon judging both were “ridiculed for their judgment” (260). However, we can identify a true judge for being able to decipher the small ingredients of a composition like the two kinsmen had. The two kinsmen in fact were right and Hume points out that most would not be “affected with such minute qualities, or is not able to distinguish all the particular flavors…” (260). Although Hume realizes that it is difficult to find a true judge, a true judge with this characteristic in particular will find the most minute ingredient in compositions and allow themselves to not be satisfied until all those small pieces of a work of true beauty are

There should be no outside influence when examining a work of art and a true judge should, as best as he can, abandon any individual or personal views. If the individual and personal views are present when judging this creates an unreliable judge in the sense that, “his taste evidently departs from the true standard; and of consequence loses all credit and authority” (263). While everyone does have a point of view it is important to regard the audiences, “opinions, passions, and prejudices…and must place himself in the same situation as the audience” (263). Another good characteristic Hume provides here because prejudice does create too much criticism of a work that would never help a true standard of