Which statement best reflects both the Humean and Cartesian perspectives as described?

Which statement best reflects both the Humean and Cartesian perspectives as described?

• A. The beauty of an object is in the perceiver's mind (Humean), while perception should be approached with rational skepticism (Cartesian).
• B. Beauty is in the object itself (Objectivist), and perception is infallible.
• C. Perception should ignore sensory input entirely.
• D. Beauty and perception are entirely subjective with no rational basis.

Answer: (A)

Beauty as a subjective experience and perception as something to be examined with rational doubt are the ideas in play. The Humean part holds that judgments about beauty arise from the observer’s feelings and internal responses, not from some fixed property of the object itself. In other words, what seems beautiful depends on who is perceiving it, not on an objective attribute of the thing being looked at. The Cartesian part brings in rational skepticism: even when we perceive something, we should question that perception and rely on reason to assess what we claim to know about the world. So, combining these, the statement says beauty is in the mind of the observer, while approaching perception with careful, rational scrutiny ensures our judgments aren’t taken at face value. The other options push toward objectivity, total disregard for sensory input, or complete subjectivity without any rational check, which don’t fit both perspectives.

Beauty as a subjective experience and perception as something to be examined with rational doubt are the ideas in play. The Humean part holds that judgments about beauty arise from the observer’s feelings and internal responses, not from some fixed property of the object itself. In other words, what seems beautiful depends on who is perceiving it, not on an objective attribute of the thing being looked at. The Cartesian part brings in rational skepticism: even when we perceive something, we should question that perception and rely on reason to assess what we claim to know about the world. So, combining these, the statement says beauty is in the mind of the observer, while approaching perception with careful, rational scrutiny ensures our judgments aren’t taken at face value. The other options push toward objectivity, total disregard for sensory input, or complete subjectivity without any rational check, which don’t fit both perspectives.