A New Cultural Theory of Aesthetics: Genes, Memes, Symbols, and Simulacra

Traditional aesthetics has neglected the importance of culture, but scientific theories of aesthetics inspired by evolutionary psychology and cognitive science show promise. Roberto Terrosi's A New Cultural Theory of Aesthetics combines cultural research in the continental sphere with Neo-Darwinist theories to arrive at a new approach to aesthetics that is sensitive to critical theory and scientific research.

Format: Hardback
Length: 278 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

Traditional aesthetics has often focused on the transcendental subject to explain the reasons behind aesthetic value, while neglecting the significance of culture. However, it is evident that artistic styles vary significantly across different cultures, both geographically and historically. Recognizing the importance of a cultural approach, one encounters the challenge of incorporating it without losing sight of aesthetics or merging it with art history or visual culture, which can be a risk in both continental and analytic philosophical aesthetics. Scientific theories of aesthetics, inspired by evolutionary psychology and cognitive science, offer promising explanations but often overlook the cultural variations, resulting in reductive and superficial interpretations. To address this, science needs to consider the role of culture, and one way to do so is through Neo-Darwinist theories of culture, such as the memetic theory. Roberto Terrosi's book, A New Cultural Theory of Aesthetics: Genes, Memes, Symbols, and Simulacra, combines cultural research in the continental sphere with Neo-Darwinist theories to propose a fresh approach to aesthetics that is sensitive to the challenges posed by critical theory as well as scientific research.

Weight: 582g
Dimension: 160 x 236 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793626677