Pleasure in natural and artistic beauty is found across the globe and through history. Like many aspects of our lives (cross cultural and sexual interests, sociality, a taste for sweet and fat), our artistic interests and preferences are affected by our genetic history. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution explains why, from Homer of the Iliad to the Homer of The Simpsons, from the Lascaux caves to Carnegie Hall, human beings are enchanted by the arts.

Denis Dutton is author of The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution (Oxford University Press, 2009), widely regarded as the most important work of aesthetic theory of the new century. Newsweek advised: “Read Dutton’s book: hismasterful knowledge of art and his compelling prose make it a thing of beauty.”

He is editor of the website Arts and Letters Daily and the scholarly journal Philosophy and Literature. In addition to writing for academic journals, he has published work in The New York Times, The Spectator, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. Time magazine named him as one of “the most influential media personalities in the world.” Appearing alongside leading media personalities, he has provoked and entertained audiences around the world. Next month he will discuss The Art Instinct with John Cleese at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.