Unwrapping Beauty
Bence Nanay
About the Course
What does it mean to experience beauty? Where does our taste for the beautiful come from? We often think some things are inherently beautiful - from a Botticelli to the Niagara Falls. But Philosopher Bence Nanay argues that our perception of beauty is purely a function of our cultural background. Nevertheless, he posits that we can find a universal definition of beauty, offering a radical new direction for the field of aesthetic appreciation.
By the end of the course, you will have learnt:
- How our cultural backgrounds influence our taste in art
- Why our current model for aesthetic appreciation is problematic
- A fresh vision for how we should view artworks
- A radical new way of understanding beauty which cuts through cultural differences
IAI Academy courses are designed to be challenging but accessible to the interested student. No specialist knowledge is required.
About the Instructor
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Bence Nanay
Bence Nanay is Professor of Philosophy and BOF Research Professor at the University of Antwerp and has worked as a film critic. He's written several books on aesthetics, perception and action, including 'Aesthetics: A very short introduction.
Course Syllabus
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Part One: Why Do We See Things Differently?In Part One, Professor Bence Nanay explores how our current conception of beauty is fragmented. He examines the role our cultural backgrounds play in informing the way we see art.
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Part Two: The Search for a New Theory of Aesthetic Appreciation
