Dutton's Video

Initially, I was following along with much of what Dutton was saying. Many of the biological concepts which he presents have been repetitive in much of my studies. I also did not mind his definition of beauty, which he describes as, “…an adaptive effect, which we extend and intensify in the creation and enjoyment of works of art and entertainment.” For instance, I can see why he may refer to beauty as an adaptive effect. If many of us, but not all, were to view ancient buildings and compare them to the modern, redesigned works, we would choose the modern ones as being more beautiful. This is because over time, we adapt to our surroundings and the things that we grow up around.

However, during the middle segment of his lecture and more towards the end, I started to disagree with a lot of what he had to say. At the closing of his speech, he states the following: “The next time you pass by a jewelry shop window displaying a beautifully cut, teardrop-shaped stone, don't be so sure it's your culture telling you that sparkling jewel is beautiful." After reflecting upon this statement, I realized that it did not agree with my views of beauty. To me, everyone has their own individual view of what is beautiful. Therefore, it is difficult to try to connect what science has to say about beauty, to how our eyes view it. Additionally, Dutton uses the word “culture” in this phrase, which I do not think is necessarily appropriate. Even individuals from the SAME culture will have different perspectives on what they believe is beautiful.

These ideas are important to talk about because there should not have to be a universal definition of beauty which is assigned to certain elements in the world. Everyone should have a voice, and part of that is being able to decide for yourself whether something is beautiful or not.