Ep. 269 - What are aesthetics? with Saugata Bhaduri

I am not sure where do I start today’s episode since it’s about aesthetics. This concept can be seen in mathematics, arts, poetry, literature, music, sculpture, photography, cooking. In fact anything that you see, smell, taste, touch or hear. So lets leave it to our today’s guest, Saugata Bhaduri. He is an Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi, India. A scholar in the field of aesthetics, which is the philosophical study of beauty and taste. As a professor at JNU, Saugata is known for his engaging and thought-provoking lectures and has made a significant impact on the education of students in the arts and humanities. Through his teaching, research, and engagement, he is making important contributions to the field of aesthetics and to the study of the arts and humanities more broadly. We’ll try and understand some basics and how to go about understanding aesthetics.

Questions

1. What are aesthetics? How would you define aesthetics, and what role do you see it playing in the study of the arts and humanities?
2. Since it’s about beauty and taste, is it subjective or objective? Who defines aesthetics? Are there any categories to classify or framework to understand aesthetics?
3. How do you approach the study of aesthetics from an interdisciplinary perspective, and what benefits does this bring to the field?
4. What role do you think aesthetics plays in shaping the society? How do you think it can be used to address social and cultural issues?
5. Can you discuss any current research or initiatives in the field of aesthetics that you find particularly interesting or important, and why?

Reference Reading

• https://www.jnu.ac.in/content/bhaduris
• https://jnu.irins.org/profile/56659
• https://twitter.com/saugata_bhaduri?lang=en
• https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=H_0CYrgAAAAJ&hl=en
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/saugata-bhaduri-42743133/?originalSubdomain=in
• https://www.amazon.in/Books-Saugata-Bhaduri/s?rh=n%3A976389031%2Cp_27%3ASaugata+Bhaduri
• https://www.facebook.com/saugata.bhaduri/
• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Saugata-Bhaduri