Everyday Aesthetic Practices, Ethics and Tact

Abstract

The essay addresses the issue of the relationships between everyday aesthetics and ethics from the point of view of tact. Tact is understood as an attitude towards behavior that guides action and thinking, and combines aesthetics with ethics. Tact and tactlessness may manifest themselves in action and speech but also in objects produced and used. I will argue that although tact is often pursued, tactful behavior will necessarily result in conflicting situations in which one is only in step with certain things and in conflict with many others. However, the principle of tact tries to hide its conflictual aspects, unlike, for example, confrontation-based political thinking. Still, within the framework of tact, the contrast between pursuing harmonious behavior and yet necessarily creating conflicts cannot be avoided, which emphasizes the special tragic nature of tact. This kind of tragedy also often characterizes everyday aesthetics. I will approach the theme both through theoretical concepts and concrete examples.