4. Aesthetics and the self

Abstract

‘Aesthetics and the self’ explains how we take our aesthetic preferences to be a big part of who we are, but how these preferences change surprisingly quickly and often without us noticing. It compares aesthetic engagement or experience to aesthetic judgements. Making judgements is rarely rewarding, entertaining, or pleasurable. Experiences, on the other hand, can be. But why are aestheticians obsessed with aesthetic judgements? The key concept of ‘Western’ aesthetics has always been that of aesthetic judgement, whereas the vast majority of non-Western aesthetic traditions are not too concerned with aesthetic judgements at all, but with the way our emotions unfold, the way our perception is altered, and the way aesthetic engagement interacts with social engagement.