If beauty is constituted by the subjective response of a rational perceiver rather than by an animating principle in the work, then artworks do not possess beauty but merely occasion it.

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Constituted by(describing what conditions would make something true): Made up of or determined by; in this case, what things would need to happen for something to count as true.
Occasion(Edwards's occasionalist reinterpretation of second causation): The circumstance or event upon which God chooses to produce a particular effect, in accordance with God's customary methods and laws, but without being a real causal contributor to that effect.
animating principle(as used in aesthetics and metaphysics): A core quality or force that makes something alive or gives it its essential character; here, it refers to beauty as something that exists within the artwork itself, independent of anyone looking at it.
artworks(as used in aesthetics): Created works of art, such as paintings, sculptures, music, or literature that people create to express ideas or beauty.

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