Beauty and its influence on us

What happens when we see something beautiful? Studies show how the brain reacts when we experience something (which we think to be) beautiful, whether it be admiring a painting or listening to a piece of music. There is an increase in blood flow to the brain’s “pleasure centre”, enhancing activity in the “medial orbitofrontal cortex” (the part of the brain just behind the eyes). In other words, experiencing something beautiful gives our brains a gush of dopamine – the same high we get during sex. In David Hume’s book “The Standard of Taste”, he theorises his views on the objectivity of aesthetic value, attempting to discover a standard of taste by which our various disagreements can be reconciled. Hume’s argument against subjectivism is based on the “aesthetics of taste”, boldly stating that there are obvious truths about comparative aesthetic merit. Can it be true that there are certain standards of aesthetic beauty? Hume explains that we must have certain traits in order to perceive and judge “taste” (e.g. strong senses). Ruling out that there are no fixed rules of composition to judge beauty and taste, but instead acknowledging that we judge through experience. Through this, we understand that there are certain “masterpieces” across different cultures and throughout time. The only way you can explain a masterpiece standing through the test of time, is through our collective judgement. Hume ultimately believed it is not a matter of taste, but a matter of virtues which allows us to judge. Stating that there are some of us who understand beauty on a higher level because of the aesthetic virtues (knowledge) we have gathered. Although critics may hold differing opinions on the aesthetics of an object, they most commonly agree on its value, thus the standard of taste is determined by the joint verdict of those who have these virtues. Taking into account Hume’s theory on aesthetics, could it be beneficial for us to have a deeper knowledge (or the correct virtues) on something? May we then judge it with fairness? If this means we understand its aesthetics, its beauty and ultimately its meaning better, then the answer should be yes. Does this mean knowledge holds the aesthetics to beauty? Incorporating one’s specialisation in allowing them to judge, with enough knowledge, on the aesthetics of beauty within the object/matter seems almost too strict. If we cannot critique something without knowing enough about it, should we then live up to the “ideal critique”? We appreciate beauty through our own personality, culture and individual values – our individuality. So no, I do not think knowledge should trump individuality in the judgement of beauty, as our subjectivity on beauty makes us different. We perceive something to be beautiful because we get pleasure from its beauty, not because others have told us to perceive it as beautiful. Burke’s book, “The Sublime and the Beautiful” on the other hand, distinguishes great differences between “beauty” and “the sublime”. He believed beauty gave us pleasure, creating an inwards calmness. However, a “sublime” experience is pleasant for the very reason it is not, as it is an experience which makes us feel insignificant. Burke believed that humans relish in this feeling because it puts things into a clearer perspective. Blatantly stating that our individual lives are indeed insignificant in comparison to the Universe. With this pessimistic perspective, Burke believed we are meant to latch onto the positive outcome of a “sublime” situation. Meaning that when a part of us feels small, we become large in other dimensions; diminishing our negative traits (such as our ego). Thus incorporating the sublime as a useful corrective in making us better humans. Concluding that we shouldn’t perceive negative chapters of life as truly negative. There can be a meaningful outcome in creating beauty and/or usefulness out of a bad situation. In my opinion we can aspire to look at our lives with positivity, as our “sublime” experiences can be beautiful ones if we let them. Not only does our individuality allow us to perceive beauty in different ways, it also lets us decide on what we do with that beauty. Treasure it and engulf yourself in it when you find it.