comparison (essay 1 of 5)

the teacher is giving herself an assignment. for every 11 chapters of the aesthetics text i'm reading (which will make 5 short essays) i am going to write on a concept that stood out to me. please comment, interact; that will make my study even more worthwhile! in philosopher david hume's chapter "on the standard of taste" he writes, "it is impossible to continue in the practice of contemplating beauty, without being frequenly obliged to form comparisons between the several species and degrees of excellence, and estimating their proportions to each other." it is true that we naturally compare things, which leads me to wonder if there is not, in fact, such a thing as both 1) universal sense of aesthetic (as humans) and 2) particular sense (personal preference). are there some things that all people, by nature of being created in God's image, find beautiful? i also wonder if, in the act of comparing itself, does one object have to become less favored? why is one model said to be "more beautiful' than another? or one piece of art "far better" than one next to it. art criticism (describe, analyze, interpret, judge) aside, could not one, for example praise both the blossoms of a cherry tree and those of a dandilion based on the essence of what each is created to be? utilizing senses, the smell of the former would, i think, be more universally appealing, but might the latter turn up better in someone's personal taste? it is also possible to qualify by saying "i prefer the smell of this and the color of that". as our tastes change with time, so does nature change. poet gerard manley hopkins writes, "He fathers forth whose beauty is past change: praise Him." in comparison as well as change, we perceive loss. could it be that if a Creator who embodies Beauty stays the same is able to make a creation that grows and shifts, that change was intended to appeal to our senses; inform our taste and be used for gain? it would be dull at best if nothing changed. from fall leaves to clouds and time to stars...when did we learn to compare? what about beauty would be different if we didn't?