Aesthetics and Ethics – Page 2 – Diversity Reading List

Yuriko Saito. The Moral Dimension of Japanese Aesthetics

2007, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 65(1): 85–97.

Categories: Aesthetic Value, Aesthetics, Aesthetics and Ethics, Asian Philosophy, Japanese Aesthetics, Philosophical Traditions, Value Theory

Keywords: Japan, Japanese aesthetics, aesthetics and ethics, art, moralism

Expand entry: Added by: Meilin Chinn

Summary: Saito presents the moral dimension of Japanese aesthetics in terms of two design principles: respect for the quintessential, innate characteristics of things and honor and responsiveness to human needs. She analyzes the sensitivity to objects and people at work in a wide range of Japanese arts and crafts, including garden design, haiku, painting, pottery, and food, emphasizing that the cultivation of a moral attitude toward things is often practiced through aesthetic means.

Comment: This text is appropriate for a course on Japanese aesthetics and/or philosophy. It would work well in a cross-cultural discussion of everyday aesthetics and the relationship between ethics and aesthetics.

Difficulty: Easy

Recommended use: Introductory with a useful overview

Comments (0): read and add advice on using this text

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