The Possibility of Global Aesthetics with Eileen John

Aesthetic theories in the Western tradition, like most philosophical theories, do not set out to have only local application, as they try to articulate generally relevant and illuminating theoretical concepts and values. But can and should philosophical aesthetics have global significance? Can aesthetic theories find fruitful general application while also respecting the locality and variability of aesthetic sensitivity? What kinds of theoretical ambition and humility are called for in philosophical aesthetics? 

Eileen John is associate professor of philosophy at the university of Warwick and director of the Warwick Centre for research in Philosophy, Literature and the Arts. She has a specific interest in literature and its philosophical and ethical roles and she tries to show the relevance of literary works to contemporary debates concerning, for example, personhood ethical disagreement and value formation.