MAS.S69  Spec Subj in Media Technology

Why do people from some cultures find body modifications attractive that others find ugly? What makes a Picasso beautiful? Why are fashion trends constantly changing? This course will delve into the hidden functions that explain our aesthetic tastes, including what we find beautiful in the physical body, art, and fashion. Drawing on classic evolutionary theory, theories of cultural evolution, and game theory, we will seek to explain both aesthetic tastes that remain relatively constant, and those that differ dramatically across time and culture. We will begin the course by building a toolkit for generating hypotheses about the hidden function behind what we find beautiful, and then apply these tools to a series of diverse case studies. This course will feature field trips to art museums and discussions with experts in different domains of aesthetics.

For a copy of the syllabus, and all readings and materials, click here.