Nick_A wrote: ↑Fri Jul 27, 2018 1:23 am
You write that humans invented values. Would you agree that people value beauty?
Most do, probably. Not all.
Why?
Originally, because they identified it with health, vitality, fertility, freshness, ripeness, edibility.
Like all animals, humans choose a ripe fruit, a nubile female, a strong tree or clean water over their less desirable versions, and we tell which is more desirable by their appearance. We are attracted to the desirable and repelled by the undesirable. It's that visceral response which gave rise to the
idea of beauty and ugliness.
Who invented it?
Early humans, after the invention of language. Don't know how far back the
concept goes, or the ability to convey one's reaction to a thing that one finds beautiful, but I'd guess about 30,000 years, because people started decorating themselves about then.
It doesn't serve nature's needs
Of course it does! Butterflies are attracted to flowers and fertilize them; female jumping spiders are attracted to the male's dance and get fertilized.
so no reason why it would be the result of animal evolution.
All the best reasons in the world: to find wholesome food and viable mates; survive and reproduce.
If we didn't invent the experience of beauty and the ability to experience beauty wasn't taught, why do we experience it.
We don't
invent experience; it just happens. We invent language to
describe experience. Experience itself isn't taught, but the full appreciation of subtle experiences
is - thus theater, food, music and art critics.