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The Aesthetics of Everyday Life

Exploring the beauty in daily experiences and environments

Jonathan Smith editor Andrew Light editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Columbia University Press

Published:24th Mar '05

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

The Aesthetics of Everyday Life cover

Exploring the aesthetics inherent in everyday experiences, The Aesthetics of Everyday Life expands traditional notions of beauty beyond art.

In The Aesthetics of Everyday Life, readers are invited to delve into the intricate connections between human experiences and the aesthetic dimensions of daily existence. This collection brings together essays from a diverse group of philosophers who explore the aesthetic qualities inherent in various aspects of life, including relationships, sports, and even the sensory experiences of taste and smell. By examining these elements, the book expands the traditional boundaries of aesthetics, which have often been limited to the realm of fine art.

The concept of everyday aesthetics, which has its roots in the works of thinkers like Henri Lefebvre, encourages a broader understanding of aesthetic experiences. It emphasizes that beauty and aesthetic appreciation are not confined to grand artworks but can be found in the mundane and the ordinary. This perspective invites readers to consider how their interactions with the environment, whether natural or built, shape their aesthetic experiences and perceptions.

Additionally, the collection highlights environmental aesthetics, exploring how constructed spaces and manipulated landscapes contribute to our understanding of beauty. It also touches on the aesthetics of sports, weather, and the sensory pleasures of food. Through these essays, The Aesthetics of Everyday Life presents a comprehensive examination of how aesthetics permeates our daily interactions and experiences, urging a re-evaluation of what constitutes beauty in our lives.

Andrew Light and Jonathan M. Smith have done a genuine service in assembling the essays in The Aesthetics of Everyday Life. -- Theodore Gracyk Philosophy In Review "After sleepwalking for several decades under the exclusive trance of fine art, philosophers are once again recognizing that aesthetics denotes a far wider and more significant field. In the real world of everyday living, aesthetics helps determine the clothes we wear and the food we eat, but also the company, the environments, and the beliefs we keep, and even the officials we elect. The Aesthetics of Everyday Life should be welcomed as a useful and wide-ranging collection that explores this fascinating domain." -- Richard Shusterman

ISBN: 9780231135023

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

240 pages