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.

CHAPTER VI