|
With regard to all of our senses, some things are pleasurable, and others are painful. For example, the taste of good food can be very pleasurable, while the taste of rotten food can be very painful. For the most part, these sensory perceptions represent what¹s good for us. Good food is good for us, so it brings us pleasure.
This is also true for our sense of sight. This is why, for example, we find an image of a lush, green valley to be more beautiful than an image of a dry, barren desert, and why a healthy person looks better than a sick or injured person. It¹s also why babies look cute, why women look pretty, and why men look handsome.
This explanation, however, does not totally answer the question, because much about the nature of beauty (aesthetics) is not understood. We can't say for certain, for example, why we like art, especially abstract art. Perhaps the higher level thought and sense of culture that is facilitated by art is its reason for existence. Perhaps it is an important element in the creation of a civilization.
Either way, we have to assume that, because art is beautiful, it is either good for us, or it is merely a fluke of evolution. Indeed, we can be reasonably certain that if something looks beautiful, then it is probably good for us, and if it looks ugly, then it probably is not (of course, there are many exceptions to such a broad rule.)
Like the rest of our senses and perceptions, our sense of ugliness and beauty are a way of interpreting our environment. It is our responsibility to evaluate and act upon this intuitive interpretation in the best way that we can.
|