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The conundrum of modern art: Prestige driven coevolutionary aesthetics trumps evolutionary aesthetics among art experts KU Leuven University of Antwerp
Two major mechanisms of aesthetic evolution have been suggested. One focuses on naturally selected preferences (Evolutionary Aesthetics), while the other implies coevolution between preferences and traits (Coevolutionary Aesthetics). Signaling theory suggests that expertise moderates these mechanisms. Here we verify this in the domain of art and employ it to elucidate Western modern art’s deviation from naturally selected preferences. We argue ...
An exploration of the functions of religious monumental architecture from a Darwinian perspective KU Leuven
In recent years, the cognitive science of religion has displayed a keen interest in religions’ social function, bolstering research on religious prosociality and cooperativeness. The main objective of this article is to explore, from a Darwinian perspective, the biological and psychological mechanisms through which religious monumental architecture (RMA) might support that specific function. A frequently held view is that monumental architecture ...