From the aesthetic mind to the human cultures: Towards an anthropology of aesthetics

Abstract

This paper aims to shed light on the links between aesthetic mind and cultural dynamics. We’ll begin by describing the behavioural, cognitive and phenomenological complexity of the aesthetic before examining the role of such multidimensional phenomenon in the processes of cultural transmission. This analysis will lead us to consider aesthetics as a key frame of reference indispensable for investigating the creative and freely productive character of the processes through which individuals reproduce and transform their culture.