David Hume’s essay on The Standard of Taste explores the natural of beauty, artistic judgment, and the subjective and objective dimensions of taste. He begins by acknowledging the diversity of human’s taste, what one person might find beautiful, another find it repulsive. He recognizes that different individuals, cultures, and eras have varied preferences when it comes to art and beauty. This variation might suggest that beauty is subjective. However, Hume argues that this does not mean there is no way to judge art or beauty and he creates the concept of ‘ideal critic’. Hume also asserts that beauty is not an inherent quality of objects but rather a sentiment or a feeling that arises in the mind of the observer. However, he distinguishes between personal preference and refined judgment. Hume mentions that cultural background and moral values influence taste. He notes that certain work might be praised in one era but dismissed in another due to changing moral and social contexts. However, he also says that great work of art endures across time because they appeal to the refined judgment of the best critics.

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