Denis Dutton

When I first watched Dutton's TED talk, I was at first annoyed. Being told that all the things that I found beautiful was because it was a result of genetics felt like all the choices I've made in life was pre-determined. I've never been a fan of the concept of Calvinism so I'm also pretty sure I knew that I was going to have an issue with this TED talk. However, hearing him speak and connect the dots between our everyday enjoyments to basic survival instincts could not be overlooked. I can't ignore the science and all the facts because they're true and every time I try to find a way to contradict them becomes a very confusing bout of circular reasoning in my head. So yes, I grudgingly agree with Dutton but just like the nature vs nurture argument can be applied to our personality so can it be applied in this case. There are more factors to be taken into consideration than just genetics by itself.

In addition, when Dutton mentioned during the landscape portion of the video, that the reason people like trees that fork near the ground was because it made it easier to climb, I immediately remembered the term biophilia. The Biophilia hypothesis is the idea that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. It's a genetic basis. It's why people like the smell of rain because the oils secreted from plants mix with the rain after a dry spell, creating a pleasant, musky aroma. We enjoy nature because we relied on nature in the past for survival and now we find those same scenes of nature beautiful. Humans climbed trees to escape and saw rain as a reminder of growth in resources. Dutton was right when he said "beauty is a gift, handed down through the intelligence skills" of our ancestors. However, at what point do the genetic traits my ancestors exhibited stop and where do mine begin? The whole point of darwinism is that we adapt. We are products of our ancestors survival skills but we change whether its due to mutation or adaptation. So yes, I like rainstorms because of my ancestors but I also like the sound of coffee being brewed and poured. To me, it's one of the best aesthetic pleasures in the world.  Who's to say which trait belongs to who?