Aesthetics and "Standard of Taste"

Philosophy Chapter 8 Section 5

aesthetics

how people evaluate works of art and other aesthetic experiences in nature and their everyday lives

what did plato believe about beauty?

one true “form” or essence of the beautiful - having to do with harmony, proportion, and balance

what did plato think beauty involved?

one’s soul and mind - soul sprouting wings when seeing something beautiful

what did enlightenment thinkers argue about beauty?

it is a subjective judgement

what does kant say about beauty

that it is subjective but that when people experience beauty, they also think that others ought to feel the same way

types of remarks people make about art (according to frank sibley)

sensory observations—what anyone with the sense of sight or hearing can observe—and aesthetic judgments, which require sensitivity to details and discernment

intentional fallacy

intention of the artist that determines the meaning of the work of art

what do Wimsatt and Beardsley point out about the intentional fallacy?

people are able to describe, interpret, and evaluate a work of art without any reference to the artist’s intentions and, furthermore, that these intentions are often unknown and unavailable

feminism according to bell hooks

a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression

how is art a way to explore exploitation and oppression of women?

they have been excluded from making art

who are the guerrilla girls?

anonymous women artist-activists—a reference to guerrilla fighters and the fact that they used gorilla masks to hide their identities

what does land art do?

challenge the distinction between the human world and the natural world

everyday-aesthetics

prevalence of aesthetically meaningful experiences in one’s ordinary day-to-day life

example of everyday-aesthetics

listening to the rain fall on a roof, admiring the pattern of leaves on the ground, and even choosing what shirt to wear or how to decorate your living spaces

those who found morality on sentiment, more than on reason…

in all questions, which regard conduct and manners, the difference among men is really greater than at first sight it appears