Traditional aesthetic theories emphasize pleasure, while recent non-hedonistic approaches prioritize “getting it right” in aesthetic engagement. This paper critiques Dominic McIver Lopes and C. ThiNguyen’s theories by arguing that correctness is neither the necessary guiding norm nor the constitutive or right motivator. Instead, it proposes bias reduction—minimizing the improper influence of prior outlooks. This shift from correctness to minimizing distortion better captures aesthetic agency and…
Read moreTraditional aesthetic theories emphasize pleasure, while recent non-hedonistic approaches prioritize “getting it right” in aesthetic engagement. This paper critiques Dominic McIver Lopes and C. ThiNguyen’s theories by arguing that correctness is neither the necessary guiding norm nor the constitutive or right motivator. Instead, it proposes bias reduction—minimizing the improper influence of prior outlooks. This shift from correctness to minimizing distortion better captures aesthetic agency and allows for pluralism and radical disagreement.
