鈥淟oving Attention and Aesthetic Appreciation鈥�
Wednesday 15th October 2025
4:10-5:30pm
John Percival Building, Room 2.03, Cardiff University
All Welcome!
Abstract
Might my love of Picasso make me a better partner? Can practicing aesthetic appreciation improve my capacity for loving attention in my relationships? The stalwart critics of moralism have long argued that artworks don鈥檛 have much of a moral impact on us, and avid consumers of art rarely turn out to be 鈥榖etter鈥� people. Why think art would make us better lovers? Drawing on Iris Murdoch鈥檚 work, this paper centres on one answer to this question: namely that aesthetic appreciation and loving attention have much in common. We should, in some ways, treat our loved ones as works of art. Just as aesthetic appreciation is guided by detail, so love鈥檚 work lies in responding to the particularities of a person.
Recording
We aim to record the talk and make it available through our website for anyone who can鈥檛 make it. However, please bear with us while we are changing websites.
Dinner & Drinks
After the talk, we鈥檒l head for a drink, followed by dinner. 糖心视频 has generously agreed to cover dinner expenses for up to two students. Students who are interested in this opportunity are invited to contact the organiser (dixond7@cardiff.ac.uk).
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