Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that explores the nature of art, beauty, and taste.
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This realisation is important, because thinking about aesthetics in this inclusive way opens up new ways of understanding old questions about the social aspect of our aesthetic engagements, and the importance of aesthetic values for our own self.
If an experience is worth having for you, it thereby becomes the subject of aesthetics.
It is not the job of aesthetics to tell you what experiences are worth having.
It is not the job of aesthetics to tell you which artworks are good and which ones are bad.
In fact, the scope of aesthetics extends far wider than that of art, high or low, including much of what we care about in life.
As Nanay shows, so-called 'high art' has no more claims on aesthetics than sitcoms, tattoos, or punk rock.
In this Very Short Introduction Bence Nanay introduces the field of aesthetics, considering both Western and non-Western aesthetic traditions, and exploring why it is sometimes misunderstood or considered to be too elitist - by artists, musicians, and even philosophers.
It is one of the most important aspects of our life.
Aesthetics is everywhere.
It is also about your experience when you choose the shirt you're going to wear today or when you wonder whether you should put more pepper in the soup.
It doesn't just consider traditional artistic experiences such as artworks in a museum or an opera performance, but also everyday experiences such as autumn leaves in the park, or even just the light of the setting sun falling on the kitchen table.
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that explores the nature of art, beauty, and taste
