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ARTS_OF_BIOLOGY_AND_CULTURE
June 30, 2016
Try to examine the spectrum
of possible positions. Dutton's "but I never said that"
defense may very well be correct, but
it also isn't that interesting,
because someone else might say it.
The goal is to find what's true, not
score how close Dutton was to mark.
Why should you,
or shouldn't you
o Beauty is in the eye of the beholder say something?
o An expression of individual spirit?
o Beauty is entirely a cultural-construct.
o The sense of beauty is genetically determined;
your genes steer you in directions likely
to improve their survival.
o mixed nature/nurture. Some variations (not
intended to be mutually exclusive):
o a natural capacity, expressed according
to cultural upbringing
o some fixed, determined elements, an outline
filled in by culture.
o tendencies in certain common directions
but which may be over-ridden by quirks of
cultural inheritence.
The thing is, if you go with "mixed"
versus some romantic or postmodern
view, what does this say, precisely?
What does it do for you?
One of my favorite grounds:
standards of female beauty.
The conservative attitude tends to be that
whatever they like they like because
"it's only natural", they contrive just-so
stories for why their sexual obsessions
are an expression of the will of their genes.
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