Meaning: The quote "Romantics consider common sense vulgar" by Mason Cooley reflects the tension between romanticism and rationalism, as well as the perception of common sense in different intellectual and cultural contexts.

Romanticism, as an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that emerged in the late 18th century, emphasized emotion, individualism, and the awe of nature. Romantics rejected the rationalism and empiricism of the Enlightenment period, which prioritized reason, logic, and scientific observation. Instead, they celebrated the irrational, the imaginative, and the subjective experience. This rejection of rationality and embrace of emotion and imagination is reflected in the quote's assertion that romantics consider common sense vulgar.

In the context of romanticism, common sense is often associated with the mundane, the ordinary, and the practical. Romantics sought to transcend the limitations of everyday life and conventional wisdom, seeking instead to explore the depths of human experience, the mysteries of existence, and the sublime in nature. Therefore, common sense, which is based on practicality and conventional wisdom, may be seen as a hindrance to the pursuit of romantic ideals.

Moreover, the quote suggests that romantics view common sense as vulgar, indicating that they perceive it as coarse, unrefined, and lacking in sophistication. This reflects the romantic rejection of the bourgeois values of the time, as well as the desire to elevate the aesthetic and the spiritual above the material and the rational.

On the other hand, the quote also highlights a fundamental tension between romanticism and the Enlightenment values of reason and rationality. While romantics may have rejected common sense as vulgar, the Enlightenment thinkers valued it as a foundation for sound judgment and practical decision-making. Common sense, in the Enlightenment tradition, was seen as a virtue that enabled individuals to navigate the complexities of daily life and make reasoned choices based on empirical evidence and logical deduction.

Mason Cooley, the writer of the quote, was known for his aphoristic style and keen observations on human nature and culture. His writings often captured the nuances of intellectual and social trends, and this quote is no exception. Cooley's assertion encapsulates the romantic rejection of common sense, presenting it as a characteristic that sets romantics apart from the rationalist and empiricist traditions that preceded them.

In summary, the quote "Romantics consider common sense vulgar" by Mason Cooley encapsulates the tension between romanticism and rationalism, as well as the romantic rejection of practicality and conventional wisdom in favor of emotion, imagination, and the sublime. It reflects the broader intellectual and cultural shifts of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as well as the ongoing dialogue between reason and passion, rationality and emotion, that continues to shape our understanding of human experience.