The Sublime

[TC_Halogen]

After going in-depth on this subject in my Honors World Literature class, I was a bit upset that we didn't have enough time to cover the topic fully. For those of you who do not know what this is about, let me give you a little bit of background information.

Originally Posted by Sublime Notes/Worksheet:

Aesthetics is commonly perceived as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste. More broadly, scholars in the field define aesthetics as "critical reflection on art, culture and nature." Aesthetics is a subdiscipline of axiology, a branch of philosophy, and is closely associated with the philosphy of art. Aesthetics studies new ways of seeing and of perceiving the world.

What do you call a feeling so powerful it cannot even be explained?
In aesthetics, the sublime (from the Latin sublimis ([looking up from] under the lintel, high, lofty, elevated, exalted)) is the quality of greatness or vast magnitude, whether physical, moral, intellectual, metaphysical, or artistic. The terms especially refers to a greatness with which nothing else can be compared and which is beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement or imitation. This greatness is often used when referring to nature and its vastness.

There were three passages that explained certain scenarios, but I see this one to be the most beneficial to the argument that I am about to propose:

Originally Posted by Sublime Notes/Worksheet:

Passage taken from Dr. Clare Colebrook's Lecture (University of Edinburgh)

Whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the ideas of pain and danger, that is to say, whatever is in any sort terrible, or is conversant about terrible objects, or operates in a manner analogous to terror, is a source of the sublime; that, is, it is productive of the strongest emotion which the mind is capable of feeling. I say the, strongest emotion, because I am satisfied the ideas of pain are much more powerful than those which enter on the part of pleasure. Without all doubt, the torments which we may be made to suffer are much greater in their effect on the body and mind, than any pleasures which the most learned voluptuary could suggest, or than the liveliest imagination, and the most sound and exquisitely sensible body, could enjoy. A pain is stronger in its operation than pleasure, so death is in general a much more affecting idea than pain.

During our lecture in class, arguments were brought up about pain, death, and terror being less of a feeling than love and pleasure. I argued that love and pleasure is something every person who has lived beyond their birth has had; they had to have had someone nurture them and care for them when needed the most. I also argued that since death has an unexpected, yet determined finality, it is much more powerful of a feeling/emotion than love and pleasure can give.

What do you guys think? According to the passage above, do you believe that love and pleasure has pain equal to or better than pain, terror, or death?