LEAP · Learning to Appreciate Aesthetic Values

Learning to Appreciate Aesthetic Values

The LEAP (Learning in Aesthetic Perception) project is situated at the intersection of philosophy, psychology, and art education. It seeks to address a longstanding gap in our understanding of how humans develop aesthetic preferences, that is, how we learn to perceive, value, and emotionally respond to aesthetic features in art, nature, and everyday life. While it is widely recognized that aesthetic choices influence culture, urban design, and environmental conservation—fields directly linked to several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 11.3, 11.4, 14.5, 15.1)—the processes behind aesthetic learning remain largely obscure. The project responds to this need by offering an original, empirically informed philosophical model of aesthetic learning, exploring how perception and emotion interact in shaping our aesthetic appreciation. This approach goes beyond traditional theories by integrating insights from cognitive science and philosophy of mind. LEAP identifies two main philosophical debates about two psychological phenomena to engage with, namely: 1) Perceptual learning, i.e. perceptual modifications resulting from training. LEAP explores the possibility that aesthetic perception (e.g., seeing beauty or expressiveness) can be trained as a genuine perceptual capacity or rather requires higher-level cognitive processes such as imagination or beliefs. 2) Aesthetic emotions, i.e. the nature of our emotional reactions aesthetic stimuli (e.g. artworks, nature, and everyday scenes). LEAP investigates the relationships between bodily reactions and values in aesthetic experiences. By combining these debates, LEAP outlines a model of aesthetic learning that captures both the perceptual and emotional dimensions of aesthetic experience. This model will as been shared and refined through discussion and collaborations with art educators, curators, and artists, in order to ensure both theoretical rigor and practical applicability to art teaching and appreciation. Methodologically, the project employs the analytic philosophy approach, integrating philosophical reasoning with empirical research from psychology. In terms of impact, LEAP: - Contributes to the philosophical understanding of the nature of aesthetic experience by offering the first comprehensive theory of aesthetic learning grounded in both perceptual and emotional processes. - Strengthen the connection between academic research in aesthetic and art education by developing a model that can inform teaching strategies, making aesthetic understanding more accessible to students and the wider public. - Contribute socially and culturally by deepening awareness of aesthetic values and their role in human well-being, cultural heritage preservation, and environmental appreciation. Overall, LEAP frames aesthetic learning as a fundamental (both in the sense of basic and of crucial) human phenomenon. The project’s scale of impact extends beyond academia, fostering dialogue between philosophers, psychologists, artists, and educators, and promoting a richer understanding of how humans learn to perceive and value artifacts and also the natural environment.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union