Sublime (philosophy) facts for kids
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The word sublime means something incredibly great. It is so big or powerful that it can be hard to fully understand. Think of a huge mountain or a powerful storm. These things can make you feel a mix of wonder and a little bit of awe. They are much more than just "beautiful."
In philosophy, the sublime describes things that are so grand they seem beyond measurement. It can be about physical size, a great idea, or a deep spiritual feeling. Sometimes, special skills are needed to truly grasp something sublime.
What is the Sublime?
When we talk about the sublime in art and beauty, it means something whose beauty is much bigger than just being pretty. It can sometimes feel sacred and cause a feeling of awe. It's like seeing something so amazing it takes your breath away.
In western philosophy, people often talk about the difference between what is "beautiful" and what is "sublime." However, in eastern philosophy, this difference is not usually made.
History of the Idea
One of the first known books about the sublime is called On the Sublime. It was written by a person known as Longinus, who lived a very long time ago. Longinus was a teacher of how to speak and write well. He used the idea of the sublime to describe powerful language that could inspire awe. He believed that sublime words had great power to persuade people.
This important book was translated into French in the 16th century by Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux. Later, in the 18th century, it was also translated into English. This helped the idea of the sublime become well-known in Europe.
Important Thinkers
Many famous thinkers have written about the sublime. These include Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant. They both explored how we feel when we experience something sublime. They thought about why huge things, like vast oceans or tall mountains, make us feel so small yet so amazed.
Other philosophers who wrote about this idea include Arthur Schopenhauer, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Theodor W. Adorno, and Jean-François Lyotard. Writers like Friedrich Schiller and Victor Hugo also used the concept of the sublime in their stories and poems. They often showed how nature's power or grand human achievements could create this feeling.
Images for kids
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Viviano Codazzi: A painting of St. Peter's Square, Rome, from 1630. Kant called St. Peter's "splendid," a word he used for things that felt both beautiful and sublime.
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Caspar David Friedrich, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, 1817. Romantic artists in the 1800s used grand nature scenes to show the sublime.
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Maurizio Bolognini, SMSMS (SMS Mediated Sublime), 2000-2006. This art project lets people experience the "technological sublime" through text messages.
See also
In Spanish: Sublime para niños
