 The composer and theorist Michel-Paul Guy de Chabanon (1730–1792) is arguably the most representative and radical example of the new skeptical mentality. In his Observations on Music and Principally on the Metaphysics of Art (1779), Chabanon offers a variety of arguments against the idea that the musical expression of emotions depends on the imitation of their vocal manifestations. Children respond emotionally to music, he observes, yet they cannot appreciate musical imitation. The same is true of individuals who are unfamiliar with the Western musical tradition. Moreover, imitation is insufficient for expression. For example, laughter is naturally associated with gaiety, but a musical imitation of laughter would fail to result in gay music. Thus, music may express emotions without imitating their external manifestations. Conversely, Chabanon observes that music may express emotions that do not have any typical manifestation: