What is Beauty: Is a Deeper Understanding, Indicative of a Deeper Aesthetic Appreciation?
Some believe that a deeper understanding of an object automatically indicates a deeper aesthetic appreciation for that object, suggesting that the more you understand an object the more you can appreciate it’s qualities, and complexities ultimately making it appear more beautiful. Others believe that a deeper understanding of an object ruins its beauty as it takes away from its curiosity virtually removing the excitement of the unknown.
What do you think? Does knowing more about the science behind of an object make it more aesthetically pleasing? Or does the science take away from its beauty?
Today I want to explore the limit to which a deeper understanding of an object is indicative of a deeper aesthetic appreciation by considering both sides of the argument and aim to establish at which point the deeper understanding begins to deduct or no longer increases the aesthetic appreciation of an object.
Understanding: What Does It Mean?
Firstly, it is essential to establish what it means to understand an object. To simplify the issue and narrow down the scope a little let’s focus specifically on a natural object for today’s article. So, is beauty just about the scientific knowledge or is there more to it than that?
To understand an object, we need to consider the basics such as where it comes from, what it’s made off, how it works and its reasons for being. For example, understanding a flower means knowing that it grows from a seed, requires sun and water to grow and provides pollen which aids our ecosystem. This type of understanding relies purely on science.
However, flowers are known to be beautiful and symbolic, think of a red rose for example, many people find it beautiful not because of the science behind it but rather the love and romantic experiences their associate it with.
Noel Carroll explored the limits of scientific understanding of natural objects in relation to their aesthetic appreciation and stated ‘‘Perhaps it only requires being human, equipped with the senses we have…Nor need the common sense of our culture come into play. Conceivably humans from other planets…could share our sense of grandeur.’’ (Carroll, 1995, p.251)
It's important to note that Carroll’s view in no way means that scientific or cultural understandings of a natural object do not play a crucial role in our aesthetic appreciation.
In fact, a deeper understanding of the scientific properties, ecological role, history and culture can enhance our emotional connection to the object resulting in greater sense of respect, wonder and worth of that object which can elevate our desire to protect it and ultimately increase our aesthetic appreciation towards it.
Carroll does indeed highlight that there is no one simple way to appreciate the aesthetics of a natural object ‘’…why presume that there is only one model for appreciating nature and one source of knowledge…’’ (Carroll, 1995, p.252)
Appreciation: What Does It Mean to Appreciate?
Perhaps the next consideration is what it means to appreciate a natural object for its beauty. Just as with understanding there are various aspects to consider. Appreciating a natural object for its beauty is about appreciating it visually through shapes and colours as well as sounds, smells and physical touch and enjoying the way it makes you feel.
For example, think of the ocean what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Ocean blue water? White sandy beach? Can you hear its soothing sounds? Or feel the soft touch of the sand? How does it make you feel? Calm? Relaxed? Or is it something else entirely?
Our appreciation for the beauty of a natural object is very dependent on our experience and associations we have with it for example, someone who enjoys forest walks may have a deeper appreciation for the smell of pine trees as they associate it with positive experiences, on the other hand someone who had a negative experience in a forest may have no appreciation for that same smell or scenery. This not only highlights the importance of the human factor but also supports the thesis that there is a limit to the extent that a deeper understanding is indicative of a deeper aesthetic appreciation.
The Philosophy: Theories of Beauty
It is clear that natural beauty is a complex concept which involves various considerations making it difficult to pinpoint exactly how ones’ judgement of its aesthetic is influenced however it is also clear that there is a limit to how one single influence or consideration can assist in one’s aesthetic judgement.
There have been many attempts by philosophers to simplify the theory of aesthetic judgements of nature as a result of which various models were proposed such as the scenery model and object model to name a few.
Each introduces a somewhat different idea on judging nature. The major flaws however with set models are that they are predominantly based on the idea that we only see nature in one given way.
The scenery model suggests that we judge nature as if it were a landscape painting and the object model suggests that we judge it as if it were a sculpture. Both of these models focus on visual and objective judgement and dismiss the subjective human factors such as experiences, emotions and senses which all play a role in our aesthetic judgements of natural objects.
Similarly, the environmental model proposed by philosopher Allen Carlson also focused on the idea that our aesthetic appreciation of nature is objective and fuelled by a deeper understanding. Carlson concluded that scientific knowledge and cognitive engagement are necessary for a deeper aesthetic appreciation of nature and that such aesthetic appreciation is objective. This seems simply incorrect as a solely objective approach to aesthetic appreciation fails to account for the subjective aspects of aesthetics.
The Arousal Model: Philosophical Balance
Another approach worth an honest consideration in relation to aesthetic judgements of natural objects is the arousal model proposed by philosopher Noel Carroll. In contrary to other models out there the arousal model does not instigate a boundary on the natural object and introduces a more sensual idea on aesthetic judgments rather than a limited solely objective one.
Most of all however it introduces the human factor discussed earlier. Carroll acknowledges that although some scientific knowledge can be useful in aesthetic judgements of nature there is also other ‘knowledge’ such as common sense for example which can be just as important and relevant and accepts that there is no one model fits all.
The arousal model introduces some important key considerations such as emotional engagements and physiological arousal which suggests one’s aesthetic experiences instigate emotional responses as well as physiological ones such as increased heart rate or sweating, cognitive engagement which focuses on how we understand and make sense of what’s in front of us and, pleasurable experience which is the desirable outcome of our aesthetic experience, this can come in any form and may be emotional, cognitive or visual.
The arousal model is based on the idea that when judging the aesthetics of a natural object we do so through a combination of visual appeal such as shapes, colours and compositions, emotional and physiological impact the set object has on us and the cognitive stimulation such as understanding, knowledge and effort required to make sense of what we see, feel and experience. This approach creates a balance between scientific knowledge and the human factor and as an end result introduces the pleasurable and sensual aesthetic experience.
The Verdict: Balance is the Goal
The key to a full aesthetic appreciation on nature is balance, which the arousal model somewhat acknowledges, if one of the proposed by the model considerations where to take over, the final aesthetic experience may no longer be as positive or pleasurable which highlights the importance of a limit requirement for each consideration to ensure a positive aesthetic experience.
To support the thesis that there is in fact a limit to how much deeper understanding of a natural object influences one’s aesthetic appreciation for that object we must consider why a deeper understanding of a natural object might not increase or even decrease one’s aesthetic appreciation.
Once again, it is about the human factor. We all continuously seek the perfect level of stimulation in our lives if we do not get enough of it, we get bored however when we get too much of it, it can get overwhelming it is all about that perfect balance. Think about mountains for example, they are loved by many, but have you ever thought about why? Mountains are mysterious, powerful and dangerous however they are also peaceful and calm which creates a balance and therefore a pleasurable aesthetic experience.
The same necessity for balance applies to knowledge, too little may take away from our cognitive engagement and ultimately decreasing our aesthetic appreciation however too much may expose the objects mystery and unpleasant truths which again can decrease our aesthetic appreciation.
If well balanced a deeper understanding can definitely enhance our aesthetic experience of a natural object by uncovering details one might miss without this deeper understanding for example, imagine a bird’s nest, our level of aesthetic appreciation would be limited if we lack the understanding of how the little birds made it from scratch to house their family as many would then simply see it as a bowl of garden waste.
On the other hand, understanding something too much may take away from its aesthetic for example, a sea rock might be beautiful visually but finding out that it is simply crushed together old sea creatures can take away from its aesthetic.
The Limit: Subjective Complexities
It is difficult to pinpoint the exact limit to which a deeper understanding of a natural object enhances our aesthetic appreciation of that object as this limit can vary depending on the object in question as well as the subjective response of the one judging it.
Think of The Great Barrier Reef for example, this beautiful reef of the coast of Australia is dying due to climate change, pollution and overfishing. Now this knowledge could bring the feeling of motivation and need of action to one, increasing their respect and appreciation for the aesthetics of the reef however for someone else this knowledge could bring the feelings of sadness and helplessness which may distract them form fully appreciating the aesthetics of the reef and bring on negative associations with it.
This is why the limit to which a deeper knowledge of a natural object is beneficial, is subjective to the human factor. Both knowledge and the human factor pay a crucial role in aesthetic appreciation, each bringing its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Knowledge deepens our understanding and helps us see the otherwise unnoticeable details and patterns, provides cognitive engagement and educates us on the environmental significance which helps us build a relationship with the object and inspire us to protect it while the human factor deepens our experience and emotional connection, which motivates us and provides a sense of pleasure and satisfaction linked to the given object.
Final Thoughts
It is evident that a deeper understanding of a natural object although may be beneficial, on its own is not indicative of a deeper aesthetic response to that object. To fully appreciate the aesthetics of an object it is imperative to not only judge it based on objective analysis and scientific knowledge as suggested by Allen Carlson’s environmental model, but also the subjective, sensual and emotional human factor as proposed by Noel Carroll in his arousal model.
The key to a deeper aesthetic appreciation of an object is balance between objectivity and subjectivity. Such balance represents the limit to which a deeper understanding is indicative of a deeper aesthetic appreciation. This limit is fully subjective and can vary depending on one’s knowledge, emotional responses, experiences and association.
The ultimate goal of a deeper aesthetic appreciation is pleasure which cannot be accomplished through a sole objective approach as subjectivity to individual preferences is required to achieve the perfect balance which results in the pleasure, we all seek.