A Functional Model of the Aesthetic Response
In a process of somatic evolution, the brain semi-randomly generates initially-unstable neural circuits that are selectively stabilized if they succeed in making sense out of raw sensory input. The human aesthetic response serves the function of stabilizing the circuits that successfully mediate per...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Contemporary Aesthetics, Inc.
2010-01-01
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| Series: | Contemporary Aesthetics |
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| Online Access: | http://www.contempaesthetics.org/newvolume/pages/article.php?articleID=581 |
| _version_ | 1818155002470858752 |
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| author | Daniel Conrad |
| author_facet | Daniel Conrad |
| author_sort | Daniel Conrad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In a process of somatic evolution, the brain semi-randomly generates initially-unstable neural circuits that are selectively stabilized if they succeed in making sense out of raw sensory input. The human aesthetic response serves the function of stabilizing the circuits that successfully mediate perception and interpretation, making those faculties more agile, conferring selective advantage. It is triggered by structures in art and nature that provoke the making of sense. Art is deliberate human action aimed at triggering the aesthetic response in others; thus, if successful, it serves the same function of making perception and interpretation more agile. These few principles initiate a cascade of emergent phenomena which account for many observed qualities of aesthetics, including universality and idiosyncrasy of taste, the relevance of artists’ intentions, the virtues of openness and resonance, the dysfunction of formulaic art, and the fact that methods of art correspond to modes of perceptual transformation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T14:35:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1cf710d2642148e8bee94647d38ac287 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-8478 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T14:35:29Z |
| publishDate | 2010-01-01 |
| publisher | Contemporary Aesthetics, Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Contemporary Aesthetics |
| spelling | doaj.art-1cf710d2642148e8bee94647d38ac2872022-12-22T01:02:12ZengContemporary Aesthetics, Inc.Contemporary Aesthetics1932-84782010-01-0191A Functional Model of the Aesthetic Response Daniel Conrad In a process of somatic evolution, the brain semi-randomly generates initially-unstable neural circuits that are selectively stabilized if they succeed in making sense out of raw sensory input. The human aesthetic response serves the function of stabilizing the circuits that successfully mediate perception and interpretation, making those faculties more agile, conferring selective advantage. It is triggered by structures in art and nature that provoke the making of sense. Art is deliberate human action aimed at triggering the aesthetic response in others; thus, if successful, it serves the same function of making perception and interpretation more agile. These few principles initiate a cascade of emergent phenomena which account for many observed qualities of aesthetics, including universality and idiosyncrasy of taste, the relevance of artists’ intentions, the virtues of openness and resonance, the dysfunction of formulaic art, and the fact that methods of art correspond to modes of perceptual transformation.http://www.contempaesthetics.org/newvolume/pages/article.php?articleID=581aestheticsemergenceepigenesisevolution of the aesthetic responseintentionalismneuronal group selectionopen workperceptual transformationstabilization of synapses |
| spellingShingle | Daniel Conrad A Functional Model of the Aesthetic Response Contemporary Aesthetics aesthetics emergence epigenesis evolution of the aesthetic response intentionalism neuronal group selection open work perceptual transformation stabilization of synapses |
| title | A Functional Model of the Aesthetic Response |
| title_full | A Functional Model of the Aesthetic Response |
| title_fullStr | A Functional Model of the Aesthetic Response |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Functional Model of the Aesthetic Response |
| title_short | A Functional Model of the Aesthetic Response |
| title_sort | functional model of the aesthetic response |
| topic | aesthetics emergence epigenesis evolution of the aesthetic response intentionalism neuronal group selection open work perceptual transformation stabilization of synapses |
| url | http://www.contempaesthetics.org/newvolume/pages/article.php?articleID=581 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT danielconrad afunctionalmodeloftheaestheticresponse AT danielconrad functionalmodeloftheaestheticresponse |