Aesthetics: A Very Short Introduction Format: Paperback

Bence Nanay introduces aesthetics, a branch of philosophy that explores the nature of art, beauty, and taste. Looking beyond traditional artistic experiences, he defends the topic from accusations of elitism, and shows how more everyday experiences such as the pleasure in a soft fabric or falling leaves can become the subject of aesthetics.

Bence Nanay is currently BOF Research Professor of Philosophy at the Centre for Philosophical Psychology at the University of Antwerp, and Senior Research Associate at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge. He is the Director of the European Network for Sensory Research, which brings together Europe's top psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers working on perception and the senses. His research focuses on a number of fields, including aesthetics, psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, and he has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles. He has also authored several books, including two monographs with Oxford University Press: Perceiving the World (2010), and Between Perception and Action (2013). He is a recipient of the Humboldt Foundation's prestigious Bessel Award for his work on aesthetics and the philosophy of perception.