A new approach to aesthetic value 

Aesthetic value is all around us – the shimmering patterns of light reflected on a river, the rustling of leaves caught in a breeze, the earthy aroma of soup cooking on a stove.

What is that makes such everyday experiences as these aesthetically valuable? 

Understanding the nature of aesthetic value is important because it forms a big part of what makes our lives worth living; just try imagining a world without beauty in it. Yet while there has been an upsurge of interest in theories of aesthetic value in recent years, most of this work has focussed on artworks and artefacts. 

Everyday Aesthetic Value (EveryAesthetic) is a two-year project that starts from the idea that to understand the nature of aesthetic value, we need to prioritise everyday aesthetic experiences. The project is led by Mark Windsor at the Department of Philosophy at Uppsala University and is funded by the European Union under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme.