Art as a Survival Trait

In this lecture, Dutton defines what is beauty, and identify that the definition many of us identify beauty is wrong. As many defines beauty as something attractive and extremely beautiful in the mind of its beholder. However, while he disagree with this definition he point out to the fact that “Beauty is nature way of acting at a distance”(Dutton). To identify this Dutton explain Charles Darwin view toward beauty as Darwin identify that the peacock feathers is beautiful, thus Darwin concludes that even the “peahen think the peacock feathers are beautiful”.

Thus, Dutton identify beauty to be a natural instinct that is embedded deep with in our minds that overall purpose is to encourage reproduction through sex. But he also identify that beauty is not only used in attraction for opposite sex but also in products that are thus revolutionized in such a way that it can be use to attract the opposite sex this he defines survival trait by art. This was shown in his example of the homo erectus using is sharpened blade to attract a female. The sharpened blade is thus consider an art use to impress the opposite sex. Finally, according to Dutton this is the definition of beauty:

“Is in the mind of the beholder Beauty? No its deep in our mind, its a gift pass down from the intelligence skill and rich emotional line of our most ancient ancestors our powerful reaction to images, to the expression of emotion in art, to the beauty of music, to the night sky will be with us and our descendants for as long as the human race exist” (Dutton).

In this view, Beauty purpose as defined by Dutton is consider as a survival trait. However, this definition does not really fit in scenario or homosexuals. As homosexual are attracted to the same sex and if beauty was all about survival instinct, wouldn’t there be no such thing as homosexuality?As homosexual finds similar sex often beautiful and thus is totally opposite of the survival instinct or have develop a suppressing sense towards the sense of beauty with the touch of modernization?
Or is beauty not about survival at all but is just the mind of the beholder that defines beauty?

2 thoughts on “Art as a Survival Trait

  1. I have to disagree with Dutton, as I view beauty in the mind of the beholder. I think people each have their own views of what is beautiful to them. With the peacock example, I bet there are people out there that don’t think peacock feathers are beautiful. I don’t believe beauty is passed down from generation to generation as beauty is always changing. A sharpened blade thousands of years ago is now replaced by a house, car, clothes, and appearance. Beauty has changed over the years and each person has their own vision of what is beautiful to them.

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