Aesthetic Injustice

Aesthetic Injustice Synopsis

Contrast the glittering palette used to decorate rickshaws on the streets of Mumbai, the phlegmatic angst of Nordic noir, the taut ovoids of Kwakwaka'wakw carving, or the kawaii invasion of parts of Tokyo. The diversity of the aesthetic ecosystem enriches our lives. In Aesthetic Injustice, Dominic McIver Lopes draws on his earlier books, Beyond Art and Being for Beauty^-^as well as the rich tradition of cultural cosmopolitanism^-^to argue that we have interests in there being diverse conceptions of aesthetic value, each one at the centre of a thriving, self-directed aesthetic culture. These interests should govern how, from the perspective of our own aesthetic cultures, we interact with others' aesthetic cultures. Lopes articulates an entirely new theory of aesthetic injustice: the consequence of neglecting our own interests. This theory sheds light on cultural appropriation, gendered and racialized ideals of bodily beauty, the allocation of resources to the aesthetic pursuits of disabled people, and state support for the aesthetic cultures of minority groups. In its combination of theoretical innovation with detailed treatment of contemporary issues, Aesthetic Injustice forges important connections between aesthetics, political philosophy, and research on social justice.