Clouds of illusion in the aesthetics of nature

Zangwill, Nick

Abstract

I defend extreme formalism about the aesthetics of inorganic nature. I outline the general issue over aesthetic formalism as it manifests itself in the visual arts. The main issue is over whether we need to know about the history of artworks in order to appreciate them aesthetically. I then turn to nature and concede that with organic nature we need to know a thing's biological kinds if we are fully to appreciate it. However, with in organic nature I deny that we need to know the deeper nature of the things we experience. What is important, I argue, are the appearances of those things not their real natures. I consider the beauty of clouds, which depends on an illusion of solidity, and I argue that scientific knowledge does not reveal beauty that is not available to the ignoramous. There is only the beauty of appearances, and it does not matter whether those appearances are accurate or illusory.

Citation

Zangwill, N. (2013). Clouds of illusion in the aesthetics of nature. Philosophical Quarterly, 63(252), 576-596. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9213.12050

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Jun 18, 2013
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2013
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 23, 2017
• Journal: Philosophical quarterly
• Print ISSN: 0031-8094
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-9213
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 63
• Issue: 252
• Pages: 576-596
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9213.12050
• Keywords: Philosophy
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/471110
• Publisher URL: http://pq.oxfordjournals.org/content/63/252/576
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Nick Zangwill : Clouds of Illusion in the Aesthetics of Nature The Philosophical Quarterly 2013 63: 576-596., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9213.12050. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.