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Articles
A Perfumed Philosophy
A dialogue between Marcel Proust and his valet, overheard by Mike Fuller.
André (the valet): You know, Monsieur, I was really upset by the way the Baron de Charlus spoke to me the other night when you and he were discussing scents and I tried to join in. Do you remember? He spoke about the “opinionated slobber” of a “little lackey” like myself and he asked me what made me think that the “excremental judgement of a bilious cretin” like myself could “see fit to utter pronouncement upon such abstruse matters of taste”. I don’t see why the Baron thinks he’s a better judge than me about perfume or anything else!
Marcel: Well, mon cher André, we live in a democracy, so I suppose you are entitled to your opinions, however execrable. Besides, you need to remember that the Baron is a tremendous snob and also has a reputation to uphold as an arbiter of aesthetic taste.
André: So you agree with him, then?
Marcel: In all seriousness, André, I think you have raised some nice philosophical points, albeit unintentionally, concerning aesthetic judgement, issues of value and even of truth.
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