5. Aesthetics and the other

Abstract

‘Aesthetic and the other’ looks at the interpersonal dimension of aesthetics. Aesthetics is rarely a solitary endeavour. We are social beings and there are very few aesthetic situations that are devoid of all social aspects. The discussion of the social dimension of aesthetics in the history of ‘Western’ aesthetics has been dominated by aesthetic agreements and disagreements. But the real question about aesthetic agreements and disagreements is not about who is right and who is wrong. It is about the ways in which our experiences depend on the allocation of our attention, our background beliefs and knowledge, as well as our past exposure.