Denis Dutton's Evolutionary Approach to Art and Beauty

Denis Dutton's Evolutionary Approach to Art and BeautyDenis L. Dutton (1944- 2010), American-NewZealandian philosopher of art, in many of his works, especially his latest book entitled The art instinct: Beauty, pleasure, and human evolution offers a new theory of art. He believes that the human tendency to art and beauty, in fact, is an evolutionary product and is one of many adaptations that are achieved through natural and sexual selection in the struggle for existence. Dutton thinks interest in art and beauty is a result of genetic programming and left for modern human of her earliest ancestors. In support of this claim, he points out aesthetic tastes of people in different historical periods and different cultures are alike. In Dutton perspective, art and aesthetics, derived from human instincts and are rooted in human nature. He defends the idea that the evolutionary approach doesn’t undervalue the importance of artistic masterpieces that are admired by everyone. He speculates that evolution - and above of every things the imagination and reason evolution- which enables the human to transcend their brute nature instincts and again the natural and sexual selection is that put him or her in a wise man or woman position. This research seeks to answer the question "How can we justify the desire of humans to the arts and beauty and the reason for their enjoyment of their eternal pleasure from the artworks from the viewpoint of Dutton?”