Abstract

Shaftesbury publie son oeuvre majeure, Characteristics of men, manners, opinions, times en 1711. Son intérêt pour les questions esthétiques apparaît dans leurs relations avec le concept de ressemblance. Puisque l'art produit sa propre théorie de l'imitation, on ne saurait le réduire aux domaines des philosophies naturelle et morale. Shaftesbury publishes his most important work in 1711: Characteristics of men, manners, opinions, times. His interest in aesthetical matters can be seen in his dealings with the word of likeness. The argument that art produces its own theory of imitation prevents any reduction to natural or moral philosophy.