beauty changes everything
Alva Noë’s book, The Entanglement: How Art and Philosophy Make Us What We Are, has garnered attention in both philosophical and art-critical circles. But rather than offer a review or summary here, I want to focus on a single idea that stood out—one that, I believe, reveals something vital about the power of aesthetics today. … Continue reading Reorienting Through Aesthetics
When we think about politics, we often focus on laws, institutions, or debates. But philosopher Crispin Sartwell, in his book Political Aesthetics, invites us to reconsider this narrow view. Politics, he argues, is inseparable from its sensory and visual dimension—the images, styles, symbols, and rituals that shape how power is experienced and understood. Not all … Continue reading The Look of Power: Exploring Political Aesthetics
Guest post by Margaret Ferguson, founder of Beyond The Chair: Earlier this year, Aesthetics Research Lab launched their project, The History of Aesthetics, to sharpen our understanding of the practice and application of aesthetics in our everyday lives. Explaining the history of aesthetics is deeply important to understanding the philosophical concepts that drive our aesthetic … Continue reading Gustatory Influences: Food Scarcity, Changing Fashions, and Aesthetics
On the IMDb website, the highest rated film is The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Audiences rally behind Andy Dufresne (played by Tim Robbins) and Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding (played by Morgan Freeman). When it comes to real prisoners, however, a stark difference seems more normal, as people adopt an out of sight and out of mind … Continue reading Aesthetics as Necessary for Prison Reform
The title of this essay is admittedly a mouthful. It's because I want to introduce a technical term in philosophy that goes back to the medieval theologian and philosopher, Thomas Aquinas. It is useful in understanding the beauty of performance, in both artistic and non-artistic contexts. When someone is well-trained on an instrument or tool, … Continue reading Performative Beauty and Knowledge by Connaturality
In 1980, philosopher John Finnis wrote Natural Law and Natural Rights, which is his explanation of natural law theory. He sets the stage by saying that there are seven basic human goods (also called basic reasons for action): life, knowledge, practical reasonableness, 'religion', play, friendship, and aesthetic experience. These all contribute to human flourishing; they … Continue reading Aesthetic Experience: A Basic Reason for Action
Sometimes a microcosm of the world allows us to examine something in a fresh way. Cosplay culture gives us a new context in which to understand how beauty standards affect people. Cosplay is the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book (often a graphic novel), video game, or comic. Most frequently … Continue reading The Aesthetic Influences on Cosplay
As the founder of Artful Banyan Tree, Bella Zhang stands as a pioneering force in the convergence of art and well-being promotion. With degrees in Psychology from the University of Edinburgh and Business Psychology from Hochschule für Medien, Kommunikation und Wirtschaft, Bella combines academic excellence with creative innovation. Bella, a certified Expressive Arts Facilitator, employs … Continue reading Bringing Beauty to Business: An Interview with Bella Zhang
I connected recently with Margaret Ferguson on Twitter, and what caught my eye was her mentioning her interest in applied aesthetics. Beginning her career as a cosmetologist, she turned to philosophical aesthetics, and this is her story. Guest post by Margaret Ferguson: When I was in middle school in 2002, I moved to Henderson, … Continue reading From Cosmetology to Philosophy
I started Aesthetics Research Lab (ARL) in 2016 because I sensed that there were people around the world, in unexpected professions and disciplines, who had an affinity toward aesthetics, even if they didn't know the jargon or theories. I also never understood why my discipline (philosophy) focuses conversations about aesthetics so much on art alone. … Continue reading 7 Year Summary