Denis Dutton: A Darwinian Theory Of Beauty | Hacker News Reader

Denis Dutton: A Darwinian Theory Of Beauty

blog.sokanu.com

24 pointssthomps5 comments

I think that appreciation of beauty, in art, music etc. is just a glitch in the brain's compression algorithm. It tends to reward novel patterns which are also familiar, i.e., compressible in regards to learned information. For example, music is boring when it's totally compressible repetitive pattern, or when it's too novel or random and thus not compressible.

The correct summary is that "we find beauty in something done skillfully". He's talking about art and such.

I also think it should be clear that people who are more handsome or beautiful or have straighter teeth than others are better evolutionarily than other less beautiful people.

They are less flawed.

To be clear, it's not because they're less flawed per se, but less symmetrical. Physical asymmetries indicate poorer genetic fitness, and we interpret this potential genetic detriment as flaw.

Doesn't seem so crazy. I mean, just look at how popular musicians are with women!

It doesn't entirely make sense to me from the female point of view, but from the male point of view being artistic (in this case musical) makes a lot of sense in Darwinian terms!

indeed, the entire talk struck me as being overly male-centric, beginning with the example of the peacock's tail. he needs to at least argue that sexual selection works both ways to explain the many talented female writers/musicians.

thing is, I don't even buy that musicians' popularity with the opposite sex is a universal thing. For most of history in China (where I live) - if you want to have a random sample of humanity and culture, can't quite ignore China can you - being a musician is quite a lowly occupation. it's only in the last 50 years when they began to make big money that they became desirable as sexual partners.

evolutionary biology no doubt determines what we look for in a mate. but it's not as fixated on some notion of beauty as pure reproductive advantage.

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