A Darwinian Theory of Beauty

Dennis Dutton approaches beauty from an evolutionary perspective in his TedTalk “A Darwinian Theory of Beauty”.  As most people know, Charles Darwin developed the theory of natural selection, which Dutton uses to demonstrate how beauty is not necessarily in the eye of the beholder but a trait passed down from our ancestors.  Although culturally condition art is found among most populations, there are a few aesthetic values shared worldwide.

“The experience of beauty is one of the ways that evolution has arousing and sustaining interest or fascination, even obsession, in order to encourage us toward making the most adaptive decisions for survival and reproduction.” (Dutton)

An example of the evolutionary obsession Dutton speaks of in the quote above is a specific landscape.  For instance, across the board humans are drawn to landscapes with low grassy areas, interspersed trees, water, animal and bird life, and a path or riverbank that extends off into the distance.  This idolized landscape found in pictures, postcards, and public parks, closely represents the land our ancestors lived on. Not only that, but individuals who were raised in parts of the world where this particular landscape fails to exist still were drawn to its beauty. This suggests that beauty has instinctual components opposed to culturally bound origins.

Additionally, Dutton suggests that artistic beauty is also due to natural selection. Before humans were even able to speak, they carved tear-drop shaped acheulean hand ax’s as decoration.  The men who carved the most elegant stones were linked with having desirable qualities such as intelligence, fine motor control and good planning abilities.  Therefore, women were more likely to reproduce with them, passing down their artistic qualities, or as Dutton says, “beauty is a gift handed down from the intelligent skills and rich emotional lives of our ancestors.”

Although Duddon provides a well thought out explanation for why mankind shares a universal love of beauty, it is only one perspective. Do you believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder?  Or do you agree it is merely an evolutionary trait that has been passed down from our ancestors?

Ted Talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/denis_dutton_a_darwinian_theory_of_beauty.html