ARE SOME PEOPLE BETTER

JUDGES OF BEAUTY THAN

OTHERS?

Francisco, Alex & Matthieu

De-contextualization of RLS
Real Life Situation:
Matthieu has studied/listened to classical music for more than 10 years. He finds classical music
beautiful.
Francisco and Alex have not they do not find it beautiful or interesting.
Is Matthieu a better judge of beauty (in classical music) than Francisco and Alex?

Knowledge Questions
1) Are all opinions equal when it comes to judging art?
2) It is possible that aesthetic value is at its base something universal a fact about
human beings? Or, is aesthetic value of an artwork purely a subjective matter?
3) On what basis can the merit of a work of art be judged?

Area of Knowledge related to the knowledge questions above: The Arts

Ways of Knowing related to the knowledge questions above: sense perception, language,
emotion & memory
Assumptions:
If one has studied or experienced any type of art-form for a significant amount of time, they are
better judges of beauty of that respective art-form than others.
Definitions:
Opinions: a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or
knowledge.
Art: the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual
form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty
or emotional power.

Conclusion
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Beauty is in the eye of the experienced
beholder
The experienced beholder has invested more time, effort and interest in a
certain art-form
He/she is therefore a better judge of beauty than a less experienced person
(the outsider) for that particular art-form
Because the outsider is less experienced or specialized in that certain art-form,
it is possible that they have a wider perspective the bigger picture

Link to RLS

Another real-life situation is in an art auction

there are different prices on artworks, but
how do those prices get decided and what
gives people a more accurate ability to judge
artworks