Leverhulme Trust Public Lecture: Feckless Reason

13 Mar 2012

Dominic McIver Lopes (University of British Columbia) on 21 March (3pm) in Roscoe Lecture Theatre A.

Empirical research on aesthetic response poses two challenges to philosophy. The more familiar challenge is that scientific explanations of aesthetic responses debunk what we take to be our reasons for those responses. One reaction to this challenge is an accommodation strategy that seeks to reconcile the scientific findings with an improved understanding of our normative reasons.

This paper presents a more fundamental challenge: some empirical research challenges the role of reasoning in aesthetic response. This challenges the accommodation strategy and suggests that philosophy should adopt a more radical naturalism about aesthetic response.

The lecture and questions will run until approximately 5pm, after which there will be a drinks reception sponsored by the Leverhulme Trust.

Members of the public are welcome.