10.29.09
Scruton, art, evolution, and David Stove
Books on art/evolution by Roger Scruton, plus Dutton’s prior book…
The Failings of EP
But no—Scruton won’t have any of that. Agreeing with an Australian philosopher, the late David Stove, he dismisses evolutionary psychology as “Darwinian fairytales.” As for The Art Instinct, although it receives bibliographical mention at the back of Scruton’s book, neither the work nor its argument is engaged directly (both books appeared in 2009, The Art Instinct a little before Beauty). Instead, two other proponents of evolutionary psychology, Ellen Dissanayake and Geoffrey Miller (whose contributions are described in Dutton’s book), are made to represent evolutionary aesthetics overall.
There is nothing more direct as a refutation of Darwinism than its inability to handle either morality or art, despite the mythologies being created to fake it, Dutton’s effort with art being a rare instance of attempts to deal with the art factor.
It is interesting that Kant wrote three critiques, the last two on morality and aesthetics.
Perahps the first critique by Kant can explain why Darwinists strike out on the last two.
It is interesting that Scruton cites David Stove! But the take here is that this has to do with evolutionary psychology, often a cover for those who don’t want to criticize Darwin.
I am curious as to whether Scruton is actually an anti-darwinists. Hard to read Stove and not be.