ABSTRACT
Having aesthetic experiences is an important aspect of leading a human life. We have such experiences when we feel stimulated by the sights and sounds of some neighborhood or natural environment, when feeling drawn to the scent of one person or repelled by the scent of another, when enjoying some food, disliking some drink, appreciating the screening of some film, hating the look of some painting, and so on. At times, we go far out of our way in order to have, or to avoid having, a particular kind of aesthetic experience. Some of us, for instance, spend significant amounts of money on buying certain culinary or lifestyle products, including foods, clothes, jewelry, furniture, various electronic devices, and cars. Others travel significant distances in order to enjoy a certain landscape, urban space, cultural event, dance party, or artwork. If a person lacks the means to do anything of this kind, she will be rather frustrated. This indicates that we not only have aesthetic experiences, but also value having, at least, some of them. Clearly, then, the aesthetic dimension of our lives matters to us.1
