Hume's Association of Abstract ideas, Imagination, and Nature Aesthetics in Prelude 1805

Abstract

Wordsworth's name has grown more associated with the empiricist tradition, and historians have questioned whether his view of the imagination fits Hume's description of "association." This research examines the early books of The Prelude to explain how Wordsworth's view of beauty differs from Hume's empiricism (1805). To begin, I argue that, despite certain parallels, the process of association is inadequate to represent Wordsworth's creative activity. Wordsworth's grasp of the imagination allowed him to reconsider empiricist aesthetics, as I will demonstrate in the following section. Despite his empiricist terminology, I believe Wordsworth's description of nature's splendour highlighted its individuality. He saw beauty as a form of respect and regard for nature's morals, which contributed to developing his empathic perspective of humanity.