"aesthesis"

sensuous appreciation of beauty

sensuous as in senses

Orlik - "The study of beauty, of what possesses the capacity to give us sensual pleasure, has its roots in emotion and not in ethics"

Biblical view

Romans 1:20

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

We can enjoy, appreciate and study beauty, but not worship it.

Philippians 1: 9, 10

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and discernment so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;

1. perception, not only by the senses but by the intellect

2. cognitive discernment (of moral discernment in ethical matters)

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

contrast with Orlik

other issues:

art for art's sake vs. pragmatism (filling a functional need)

the physical experience vs. the remote experience

the original vs. a copy

the medium employed

ex. LP vs. CD

5 Schools of Thought on Aesthetics

1. Absolutism

beauty exists independent of our response to it (humans not required)

Christianity - beauty is rooted in the character and nature of God

beauty existed before creation

in a fallen world we see beauty through a mirror dimly

often, absolutism isn't a critique but something to remember as we critique

2. Individualism

humans can understand beauty

my determination of beauty is as good as yours

(disagreement without resolution is inevitable)

here's what I see, but if you don't see the same things, that's fine (usually!)

the Internet facilitates individualism

3. Objectivism

critiques are valid only when done by experts using an authoritative set of guidelines

evaluation by individuals is irrelevant, only the experts understand aesthetics

there is a "right" and "wrong"

"good taste"

can be elitist at worst, uplifting culture at best

4. Cultural Relativism

social institutions collectively define beauty

no one culture is better than another

can enslave (government) or free/unite

globalization of media challenges the nature of unique cultures

the spreading of American values

5. Biopsychological Relativism

internal patterns (genetics) of likes/dislikes that are biologically ingrained

we are "programmed" towards certain aesthetics

Absolutism - gods/God

Individualism - you and I

Objectivism - experts

Cultural Relativism - social institutions

Biopsychological Relativism - our genes

if aesthetics is experience, art is the collection of elements in which the potential for achieving pleasure through beauty resides

art provokes

art communicates

media can be socially powerful

providing mass/common experiences

1. refine society and culture by offering the ideal

giving us something to strive for/towards as a society

2. seeing into the present to reveal our world

helping us see through a different lens

exposing the world for what it is (shattering rose colored glasses)

3. cope with the labors of life

helps us resolve problems (ex. ads)

4. liberate the imagination and put oneself into the place of others

walking a mile in someone else's shoes

creating sympathy/empathy

5. lessen tension and internal conflict as an aid to mental health

stress relief, consolation, relaxation

6. to inspire fear, disgust and indignation

to rile us, challenge us, push boundaries (+/-)

1. Fine/Elite/High Culture

skilled artists, complex, planned

2. Folk Culture

"unskilled" artists, simple, spontaneous

3. Popular (pop) culture

known artists, art is to be sold/consumed