A Qualitative Study on the relationship between Aesthetic Experience and Material Culture from the Ancient World to Homo Aestheticus

Asiye Nisa Kartal; Hasan Basri Kartal

Article Details

A Qualitative Study on the relationship between Aesthetic Experience and Material Culture from the Ancient World to Homo Aestheticus

Authors:

Asiye Nisa Kartal | Hasan Basri Kartal

Publisher:

Gumushane University

Main Topics:

Çevre ve Kültür

Journal:

Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.16 Issue 2, pp.709-725

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

5/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001349564

pISSN:

1309-7423

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Within classical attitudes, aesthetic experience can be defined in its simplest form as a phenomenon stemming from the sensations experienced by the subject due to interactions with the environment and its material elements. Evolutionary aesthetics argues that aesthetic sensitivity is crucial for human survival and establishing relationships with the environment. The earliest thoughts on aesthetic experience, which arose almost simultaneously with the advent of modern humans on earth, laid the groundwork for forming primordial religions at a social level. To cope with and adapt to their surroundings, humans enhanced their aesthetic experience by utilising tools, processing materials, decorating their bodies, and building nests. This situation seized the opportunity to create material culture, the primary output of their evolution. The phenomenological approach, which emerged in philosophy from the last quarter of the 19th century onwards, has taken on different dimensions and influenced numerous areas outside philosophy. Phenomenology, focusing on the individuals experience, has placed particular emphasis on the role of the body in generating material culture and aesthetic experience, contributing to the formation and shaping of aesthetic experiences. In the first half of the 20th century, the concepts of cognition and experience began to be explored concerning the material environment. Since the 1970s, postcognitivist approaches have emerged that consider the effects of the body and environment on the formation of human cognitive processes. Based on these approaches, the influences of the body and social structures on human cognitive processes have begun to be examined through the lens of aesthetic experience and elements of material culture. This article represents the first Turkish study addressing the theme of evolutionary aesthetics and material culture. It begins with a discussion on the origin of aesthetic sensitivity. It concludes with the Actor-network theory which explores the concepts of experience and material culture about cognition and sociality. The discussion of the study says humans enhance their cognitive capacity and flexibility by constructing products of material culture through aesthetic sensitivity.

 Within classical attitudes, aesthetic experience can be defined in its simplest form as a phenomenon stemming from the sensations experienced by the subject due to interactions with the environment and its material elements. Evolutionary aesthetics argues that aesthetic sensitivity is crucial for human survival and establishing relationships with the environment. The earliest thoughts on aesthetic experience, which arose almost simultaneously with the advent of modern humans on earth, laid the groundwork for forming primordial religions at a social level. To cope with and adapt to their surroundings, humans enhanced their aesthetic experience by utilising tools, processing materials, decorating their bodies, and building nests. This situation seized the opportunity to create material culture, the primary output of their evolution. The phenomenological approach, which emerged in philosophy from the last quarter of the 19th century onwards, has taken on different dimensions and influenced numerous areas outside philosophy. Phenomenology, focusing on the individuals experience, has placed particular emphasis on the role of the body in generating material culture and aesthetic experience, contributing to the formation and shaping of aesthetic experiences. In the first half of the 20th century, the concepts of cognition and experience began to be explored concerning the material environment. Since the 1970s, postcognitivist approaches have emerged that consider the effects of the body and environment on the formation of human cognitive processes. Based on these approaches, the influences of the body and social structures on human cognitive processes have begun to be examined through the lens of aesthetic experience and elements of material culture. This article represents the first Turkish study addressing the theme of evolutionary aesthetics and material culture. It begins with a discussion on the origin of aesthetic sensitivity. It concludes with the Actor-network theory which explores the concepts of experience and material culture about cognition and sociality. The discussion of the study says humans enhance their cognitive capacity and flexibility by constructing products of material culture through aesthetic sensitivity.

 Within classical attitudes, aesthetic experience can be defined in its simplest form as a phenomenon stemming from the sensations experienced by the subject due to interactions with the environment and its material elements. Evolutionary aesthetics argues that aesthetic sensitivity is crucial for human survival and establishing relationships with the environment. The earliest thoughts on aesthetic experience, which arose almost simultaneously with the advent of modern humans on earth, laid the groundwork for forming primordial religions at a social level. To cope with and adapt to their surroundings, humans enhanced their aesthetic experience by utilising tools, processing materials, decorating their bodies, and building nests. This situation seized the opportunity to create material culture, the primary output of their evolution. The phenomenological approach, which emerged in philosophy from the last quarter of the 19th century onwards, has taken on different dimensions and influenced numerous areas outside philosophy. Phenomenology, focusing on the individuals experience, has placed particular emphasis on the role of the body in generating material culture and aesthetic experience, contributing to the formation and shaping of aesthetic experiences. In the first half of the 20th century, the concepts of cognition and experience began to be explored concerning the material environment. Since the 1970s, postcognitivist approaches have emerged that consider the effects of the body and environment on the formation of human cognitive processes. Based on these approaches, the influences of the body and social structures on human cognitive processes have begun to be examined through the lens of aesthetic experience and elements of material culture. This article represents the first Turkish study addressing the theme of evolutionary aesthetics and material culture. It begins with a discussion on the origin of aesthetic sensitivity. It concludes with the Actor-network theory which explores the concepts of experience and material culture about cognition and sociality. The discussion of the study says humans enhance their cognitive capacity and flexibility by constructing products of material culture through aesthetic sensitivity.

 Klasik yaklaşımlar içerisinde, en basit haliyle, estetik deneyim, öznenin çevre ve çevredeki maddi unsurlar ile etkileşimi sonucu yaşadığı duyumsamadan türemiş bir olgu olarak tanımlanabilir. Evrimsel estetik, insanın hayatta kalma ve çevresi ile ilişki kurmasında estetik duyarlığının önemli bir faktör olduğunu savlamaktadır. Modern insanın yeryüzündeki serüveniyle neredeyse eş zamanlı başlayan estetik deneyim üzerine yapılan ilk düşünce üretimleri, toplumsal düzlemde ilkel dinlerin oluşumuna zemin sağlamıştır. Çevre ile baş etme ve uyum sağlama adına, alet kullanımı, malzemeyi işleme, beden süslemesi ve yuva yapma edimleri ile insan, estetik deneyimini geliştirmiş, evrimleşmesinin başat üretimi olan maddi kültürü yaratma imkânı bulmuştur. 19. yüzyılın son çeyreğinden itibaren felsefede ortaya çıkan fenomenolojik yaklaşım, farklı boyutlar kazanarak felsefe dışındaki birçok alanı etkilemiştir. Bireyin deneyimini merkeze alan fenomenoloji, özellikle estetik deneyimin oluşumuna ve şekillenmesine katkıda bulunan, bedenin maddi kültür ve estetik deneyim yaratmadaki rolüne önem vermiştir. Bu sayede, 20. yüzyılın ilk yarısında, biliş ve deneyim kavramları maddi çevre ile birlikte ele alınmaya başlanmıştır. 1970li yıllardan itibaren ise insanın zihinsel süreçlerinin oluşumunda beden ve çevrenin etkisini merkeze alan art-bilişselci postcognitivism yaklaşımlar ortaya çıkarmıştır. Bu yaklaşımlardan hareketle, bedenin ve sosyal yapının insanın zihinsel süreçleri üzerindeki etkisi, estetik deneyim ve maddi kültür unsurlarına odaklanılarak incelenmeye başlamıştır. Bu makale, evrimsel estetik temasını maddi kültür kavramı ile birlikte ele alan ilk Türkçe çalışmadır. Makale, estetik duyarlılığın kökenine dair tartışmalardan başlayıp, deneyim ve maddi kültür kavramını bilişsellik ve sosyallik teması ile inceleyen Aktör Ağ Kuramı Actornetwork theory ile sonlanmaktadır. Makaledeki tartışmaya göre, insan, estetik duyarlılık sayesinde, maddi kültür ürünleri inşa ederek bilişsel kapasitesini ve bilişsel esnekliğini arttırmaktadır.

Article Details

A Qualitative Study on the relationship between Aesthetic Experience and Material Culture from the Ancient World to Homo Aestheticus

Authors:

Asiye Nisa Kartal | Hasan Basri Kartal

Publisher:

Gumushane University

Main Topics:

Çevre ve Kültür

Journal:

Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.16 Issue 2, pp.709-725

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

5/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001349564

pISSN:

1309-7423

Aesthetic Sensitivity

Material Culture

Cognition

Actor–network theory

Homo AestheticusEstetik Duyarlılık

Maddi Kültür

Bilişsellik

Aktör-Ağ Kuramı

Homo Aestheticus

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Asiye Nisa Kartal | Hasan Basri Kartal

Publisher: Gumushane University

Main Topics: Çevre ve Kültür

Journal: Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.16 Issue 2, pp.709-725

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 5/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001349564

pISSN: 1309-7423

Issues

Authors:

Asiye Nisa Kartal | Hasan Basri Kartal

Publisher:

Gumushane University

Main Topics:

Çevre ve Kültür

Journal:

Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi Vol.16 Issue 2, pp.709-725

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

5/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001349564

pISSN:

1309-7423