Yuriko Saito
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- July 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780199672103
- eISBN:
- 9780191838682
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199672103.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
Everyday aesthetics was recently proposed as a challenge to the contemporary Anglo-American aesthetics discourse dominated by the discussion of art and beauty. This book responds to the subsequent ...
More
Everyday aesthetics was recently proposed as a challenge to the contemporary Anglo-American aesthetics discourse dominated by the discussion of art and beauty. This book responds to the subsequent controversies regarding the nature, boundary, and status of everyday aesthetics and argues for its legitimacy. Specifically, its discussion highlights the multifaceted aesthetic dimensions of everyday life that are not fully accounted for by the commonly held account of defamiliarizing the familiar. Instead, the appreciation of the familiar as familiar, negative aesthetics, and the experience of doing things are all included as being worthy of investigation. These diverse ways in which aesthetics is involved in everyday life are explored through conceptual analysis as well as by application of specific examples from art, environment, and household chores. The significance of everyday aesthetics is also multi-layered. This book emphasizes the consequences of everyday aesthetics beyond the generally recognized value of enriching one’s life experiences and sharpening one’s attentiveness and sensibility. Many examples, ranging from consumer aesthetics and nationalist aesthetics to environmental aesthetics and cultivation of moral virtues, demonstrate that the power of aesthetics in everyday life is considerable, affecting and ultimately determining the quality of life and the state of the world, for better or worse. In light of this power of the aesthetic, everyday aesthetics has a social responsibility to encourage cultivation of aesthetic literacy and vigilance against aesthetic manipulation. Ultimately, everyday aesthetics can be an effective instrument for directing humanity’s collective and cumulative world-making project for the betterment of all its inhabitants.Less
Everyday aesthetics was recently proposed as a challenge to the contemporary Anglo-American aesthetics discourse dominated by the discussion of art and beauty. This book responds to the subsequent controversies regarding the nature, boundary, and status of everyday aesthetics and argues for its legitimacy. Specifically, its discussion highlights the multifaceted aesthetic dimensions of everyday life that are not fully accounted for by the commonly held account of defamiliarizing the familiar. Instead, the appreciation of the familiar as familiar, negative aesthetics, and the experience of doing things are all included as being worthy of investigation. These diverse ways in which aesthetics is involved in everyday life are explored through conceptual analysis as well as by application of specific examples from art, environment, and household chores. The significance of everyday aesthetics is also multi-layered. This book emphasizes the consequences of everyday aesthetics beyond the generally recognized value of enriching one’s life experiences and sharpening one’s attentiveness and sensibility. Many examples, ranging from consumer aesthetics and nationalist aesthetics to environmental aesthetics and cultivation of moral virtues, demonstrate that the power of aesthetics in everyday life is considerable, affecting and ultimately determining the quality of life and the state of the world, for better or worse. In light of this power of the aesthetic, everyday aesthetics has a social responsibility to encourage cultivation of aesthetic literacy and vigilance against aesthetic manipulation. Ultimately, everyday aesthetics can be an effective instrument for directing humanity’s collective and cumulative world-making project for the betterment of all its inhabitants.
Yuriko Saito
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- July 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780199672103
- eISBN:
- 9780191838682
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199672103.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
This chapter argues for the importance of cultivating aesthetic literacy and vigilance, as well as practicing aesthetic expressions of moral virtues. In light of the considerable power of the ...
More
This chapter argues for the importance of cultivating aesthetic literacy and vigilance, as well as practicing aesthetic expressions of moral virtues. In light of the considerable power of the aesthetic to affect, sometimes determine, people’s choices, decisions, and actions in daily life, everyday aesthetics discourse has a social responsibility to guide its power toward enriching personal life, facilitating respectful and satisfying interpersonal relationships, creating a civil and humane society, and ensuring the sustainable future. As an aesthetics discourse, its distinct domain unencumbered by these life concerns needs to be protected. At the same time, denying or ignoring the connection with them decontextualizes and marginalizes aesthetics. Aesthetics is an indispensable instrument for assessing and improving the quality of life and the state of the world, and it behooves everyday aesthetics discourse to reclaim its rightful place and to actively engage with the world-making project.Less
This chapter argues for the importance of cultivating aesthetic literacy and vigilance, as well as practicing aesthetic expressions of moral virtues. In light of the considerable power of the aesthetic to affect, sometimes determine, people’s choices, decisions, and actions in daily life, everyday aesthetics discourse has a social responsibility to guide its power toward enriching personal life, facilitating respectful and satisfying interpersonal relationships, creating a civil and humane society, and ensuring the sustainable future. As an aesthetics discourse, its distinct domain unencumbered by these life concerns needs to be protected. At the same time, denying or ignoring the connection with them decontextualizes and marginalizes aesthetics. Aesthetics is an indispensable instrument for assessing and improving the quality of life and the state of the world, and it behooves everyday aesthetics discourse to reclaim its rightful place and to actively engage with the world-making project.
Yuriko Saito
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- July 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780199672103
- eISBN:
- 9780191838682
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199672103.003.0006
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
Despite the charge of triviality and insignificance, everyday aesthetics has a surprisingly powerful impact on the quality of life and the state of the world, for better or worse. From popular ...
More
Despite the charge of triviality and insignificance, everyday aesthetics has a surprisingly powerful impact on the quality of life and the state of the world, for better or worse. From popular attraction to certain natural creatures, landscapes, and fashionable consumer goods to rejection of ‘inglorious’ fresh produce and landscaping with indigenous plants, this power of everyday aesthetics leads to environmental consequences, promotes nationalism, and exacerbates rampant consumerism. Aesthetics is also a vehicle through which to express moral virtues or lack thereof, such as respect, thoughtfulness, and care toward the other, whether it be an object or a human being. By exploring these examples, this chapter demonstrates how everyday aesthetics makes a significant contribution to humanity’s collective, cumulative, and ongoing project of world-making.Less
Despite the charge of triviality and insignificance, everyday aesthetics has a surprisingly powerful impact on the quality of life and the state of the world, for better or worse. From popular attraction to certain natural creatures, landscapes, and fashionable consumer goods to rejection of ‘inglorious’ fresh produce and landscaping with indigenous plants, this power of everyday aesthetics leads to environmental consequences, promotes nationalism, and exacerbates rampant consumerism. Aesthetics is also a vehicle through which to express moral virtues or lack thereof, such as respect, thoughtfulness, and care toward the other, whether it be an object or a human being. By exploring these examples, this chapter demonstrates how everyday aesthetics makes a significant contribution to humanity’s collective, cumulative, and ongoing project of world-making.
