Joseph H. Kupfer

Experience as Art: Aesthetics in Everyday Life - SUNY series in Philosophy Joseph H. Kupfer

"It is a courageous attempt to think philosophically about up-front human concerns without either pandering or resorting to jargon. The chapter topics are central to human life and Kupfer's treatment of them is informed, animated, and often original.... Kupfer's book will become an important contribution to our understanding of contemporary culture." -- John J. McDermott, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Texas A&M University

"The work is important and should appeal to faculty and students in courses in aesthetics and philosophy." -- Ralph A. Smith, Professor of Cultural and Educational Policy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Joseph Kupfer removes aesthetics from the exclusive province of museums, concert halls, and the periphery of human interests to reveal the impact of aesthetic experience on daily living. He combines philosophical aesthetics and critical analysis to indicate the status of aesthetic values in ordinary life, showing how aesthetic qualities and relations contribute to social, moral, and personal values. In examining the practical implications of aesthetic values for sports, sexual relationships, violence, and education, Kupfer also looks at the effect of aesthetic deprivation.