A Darwinian theory of beauty | Denis Dutton

Prevodilac: Mirna Radin-Sabadoš Lektor: Ivana Korom

Delighted to be here

Drago mi je što sam ovde

and to talk to you about a subject dear to my heart,

i što ću vam govoriti o onome što mi je srcu blisko,

which is beauty.

o lepoti.

I do the philosophy of art, aesthetics,

Bavim se filozofijom umetnosti, estetikom,

actually, for a living.

zapravo, kao profesijom.

I try to figure out intellectually,

Pokušavam da ustanovim na intelektualnom planu,

philosophically, psychologically,

filozofski, psihološki,

what the experience of beauty is,

kakvo je naše iskustvo lepote,

what sensibly can be said about it

šta se racionalno o tome može reći

and how people go off the rails in trying to understand it.

i kako ljudi zastrane u pokušajima da ga razumeju.

Now this is an extremely complicated subject,

To je krajnje složena tema,

in part because the things that we call beautiful

delimično stoga što lepim smatramo

are so different.

toliko mnogo različitih pojmova.

I mean just think of the sheer variety --

Recimo, pogledajte samo raznorodnost -

a baby's face,

dečije lice,

Berlioz's "Harold in Italy,"

Berliozov "Harold u Italiji",

movies like "The Wizard of Oz"

filmovi poput "Čarobnjaka iz Oza",

or the plays of Chekhov,

ili Čehovljeve drame,

a central California landscape,

pejzaži centralne Kalifornije

a Hokusai view of Mt. Fuji,

Hokusaijevi prikazi planine Fudži,

"Der Rosenkavalier,"

Rozenkavalir,

a stunning match-winning goal

fantastični pobednički gol,

in a World Cup soccer match,

na utakmici svetskog prvenstva,

Van Gogh's "Starry Night,"

Van Gogova "Zvezdana noć",

a Jane Austen novel,

roman Džejn Ostin,

Fred Astaire dancing across the screen.

Fred Aster dok pleše preko ekrana.

This brief list includes human beings,

Na ovaj ne tako dug spisak dospela su ljudska bića,

natural landforms,

prirodni oblici reljefa,

works of art and skilled human actions.

umetnička dela i ljudsko umeće.

An account that explains the presence of beauty

Gledište koje objašnjava prisustvo lepote

in everything on this list

u svemu na ovom spisku

is not going to be easy.

neće biti lako pronaći.

I can, however, give you at least a taste

Mogu vam, zauzvrat, ponuditi uvid u

of what I regard

ono što sam smatram

as the most powerful theory of beauty

najuticajnijom teorijom lepote

we yet have.

kojom raspolažemo.

And we get it not from a philosopher of art,

A ona se ne temelji na filozofiji umetnosti,

not from a postmodern art theorist

niti na radovima teoretičara postmoderne umetnosti

or a bigwig art critic.

niti na visokoparnim zaključcima likovnih kritičara.

No, this theory

Ne, ova je teorija

comes from an expert

zasnovana na delu stručnjaka za

on barnacles and worms and pigeon breeding,

školjke i crve i uzgajanje golubova.

and you know who I mean:

Znate li na koga mislim -

Charles Darwin.

na Čalsa Darvina.

Of course, a lot of people think they already know

Naravno, mnogi misle da već znaju

the proper answer to the question,

pravi odgovor na pitanje

"What is beauty?"

šta je to lepota?

It's in the eye of the beholder.

Ona je u oku posmatrača.

It's whatever moves you personally.

Ona je ono što vas se lično dotiče.

Or, as some people,

Ili, kako bi rekli neki ljudi -

especially academics prefer,

naročito u akademskim krugovima -

beauty is in the culturally conditioned

lepota je u kulturološki uslovljenom

eye of the beholder.

oku posmatrača.

People agree that paintings or movies or music

Ljudi će se složiti da su slikarstvo, ili film, ili muzika

are beautiful

ono što jeste lepo

because their cultures determine a uniformity of aesthetic taste.

jer kulture iz kojih ta dela dolaze određuju ujednačenost estetskog ukusa.

Taste for both natural beauty and for the arts

Ukus koji preovlađuje kada govorimo o prirodnim lepotama ili o umetnosti

travel across cultures

prevazilazi kulturne okvire

with great ease.

sasvim lako.

Beethoven is adored in Japan.

Betovenu se dive u Japanu.

Peruvians love Japanese woodblock prints.

Peruanci obožavaju japansku štampu na drvetu.

Inca sculptures are regarded as treasures

Skulpture Inka smatraju se blagom

in British museums,

u britanskim muzejima

while Shakespeare is translated

a Šekspir je preveden

into every major language of the Earth.

na sve važnije jezike sveta.

Or just think about American jazz

Ili samo se setite američkog džeza

or American movies --

ili američkih filmova -

they go everywhere.

oni su sveprisutni.

There are many differences among the arts,

Među umetnostima ima mnogo razlika,

but there are also universal,

ali takođe postoje univerzalne,

cross-cultural aesthetic pleasures

trans-kulturne estetske norme

and values.

i vrednosti.

How can we explain

Kako možemo da objasnimo

this universality?

prisustvo ovih univerzalija?

The best answer lies in trying to reconstruct

Najbolji odgovor leži u pokušaju da se rekonstruiše

a Darwinian evolutionary history

darvinovska istorija evolucije

of our artistic and aesthetic tastes.

naših umetničkih i estetskih ukusa.

We need to reverse-engineer

Treba da istražimo poreklo i nastanak

our present artistic tastes and preferences

savremenih umetničkih sklonosti i ukusa

and explain how they came

i da objasnimo kako se desilo

to be engraved in our minds

da budu urezani u ljudski um.

by the actions of both our prehistoric,

Pod uticajem preistorijske

largely pleistocene environments,

u najvećoj meri pleistocenske sredine,

where we became fully human,

u kojoj smo postali ljudima,

but also by the social situations

ali u istoj meri i pod uticajem društvenih prilika

in which we evolved.

u kojima smo se razvijali.

This reverse engineering

Za praćenje tragova u prošlost

can also enlist help

mogu poslužiti

from the human record

svedočanstva o ljudskom rodu

preserved in prehistory.

sačuvana od praistorije.

I mean fossils, cave paintings and so forth.

Mislim na fosile i slike u pećinama i slično.

And it should take into account

Isto tako moramo uzeti u obzir

what we know of the aesthetic interests

sve ono što znamo o estetici i ukusima

of isolated hunter-gatherer bands

izolovanih grupa lovaca-skupljača

that survived into the 19th and the 20th centuries.

koje su opstale sve do 19. i 20. veka.

Now, I personally

Lično

have no doubt whatsoever

ni malo ne sumnjam

that the experience of beauty,

da je doživljaj lepote

with its emotional intensity and pleasure,

njegovo delovanje na čula i užitak koji pruže

belongs to our evolved human psychology.

ukorenjen u psihologiji ljudskog roda kroz evoluciju.

The experience of beauty is one component

Doživljaj lepote čini jednu od komponenata u

in a whole series of Darwinian adaptations.

čitavom nizu darvinovskh adaptacija.

Beauty is an adaptive effect,

Lepota je prilagodljiv efekat

which we extend

koji nastupa

and intensify

i pojačava se

in the creation and enjoyment

prilikom stvaranja umetničkih dela

of works of art and entertainment.

ili zabavnog sadržaja i prilikom uživanja u njima.

As many of you will know,

Kao što mnogi od vas znaju,

evolution operates by two main primary mechanisms.

evolucija se odvija primenom dva osnovna mehanizma.

The first of these is natural selection --

Prvi jeste prirodni odabir -

that's random mutation and selective retention --

nasumična mutacija i selektivno zadržavanje -

along with our basic anatomy and physiology --

uz osnovnu anatomiju i fiziologiju -

the evolution of the pancreas or the eye or the fingernails.

kao što je razvoj pankreasa ili očiju i noktiju.

Natural selection also explains

Prirodni odabir takođe objašnjava

many basic revulsions,

mnoge reflekse gađenja,

such as the horrid smell of rotting meat,

kao prema odvratnom mirisu trulog mesa,

or fears, such as the fear of snakes

ili strahove, kao što je strah od zmija

or standing close to the edge of a cliff.

ili strah od stajanja na ivici litice.

Natural selection also explains pleasures --

Prirodni odabir tako objašnjava i užitke -

sexual pleasure,

užitak u seksu,

our liking for sweet, fat and proteins,

sklonost ka slatkišima, mastima i proteinima,

which in turn explains a lot of popular foods,

čime se objašnjava popularnost mnogih vrsta hrane,

from ripe fruits through chocolate malts

od zrelog voća preko čokolade do

and barbecued ribs.

rebaraca sa roštilja.

The other great principle of evolution

Drugi značajni princip evolucije

is sexual selection,

jeste odabir seksualnog partnera,

and it operates very differently.

i princip tog odabira je veoma različit.

The peacock's magnificent tail

Paunov veličanstveni rep

is the most famous example of this.

predstavlja najbolji primer.

It did not evolve for natural survival.

Nije se razvio iz potrebe za opstankom.

In fact, it goes against natural survival.

Zapravo, on sasvim suprotno šteti prirodnom opstanku.

No, the peacock's tail

Ne, paunov rep

results from the mating choices

je proizvod izbora partnera za parenje

made by peahens.

koje biraju ženke.

It's quite a familiar story.

Priča je dobro poznata.

It's women who actually push history forward.

Žene zapravo pogone istoriju.

Darwin himself, by the way,

I sam Darvin, uzgred budi rečeno,

had no doubts that the peacock's tail

nimalo nije sumnjao da je paunov rep

was beautiful in the eyes of the peahen.

bio lep u očima njegovih ženki.

He actually used that word.

On je i upotrebio baš tu reč.

Now, keeping these ideas firmly in mind,

Imajući u vidu sve to,

we can say that the experience of beauty

možemo reći da je iskustvo lepote

is one of the ways that evolution has

jedan od načina da evolucija

of arousing and sustaining

pobudi naše interesovanje

interest or fascination,

i da ga zadrži i pretvori u fascinaciju

even obsession,

ili čak opsesiju,

in order to encourage us

da bi nas ohrabrila da donesemo

toward making the most adaptive decisions

odluke koje će najviše doprineti prilagođavanju

for survival and reproduction.

radi opstanka i razmnožavanja.

Beauty is nature's way

Lepota je način na koji priroda

of acting at a distance,

deluje na nas iz daljine,

so to speak.

da tako kažemo.

I mean, you can't expect to eat

Znate, nećete doći u situaciju da pojedete

an adaptively beneficial landscape.

okruženje koje je povoljno i prilagodljivo.

It would hardly do to eat your baby

Svakako će vam biti na štetu da pojedete sopstveno dete

or your lover.

ili partnera.

So evolution's trick

Evolucija primenjuje trik

is to make them beautiful,

i čini ih lepima,

to have them exert a kind of magnetism

da bi zračili određenom vrstom privlačnosti

to give you the pleasure of simply looking at them.

da vam pruže užitak i dok ih samo posmatrate.

Consider briefly an important source of aesthetic pleasure,

Razmotrimo ukratko važan izvor estetskog užitka,

the magnetic pull

privlačnost

of beautiful landscapes.

prelepih pejzaža.

People in very different cultures

U različitim kulturama ljudima

all over the world

svuda po svetu

tend to like a particular kind of landscape,

često se dopada naročita vrsta pejzaža,

a landscape that just happens to be similar

i to su sasvim slučajno pejzaži nalik

to the pleistocene savannas where we evolved.

na savane pleistocena u kojima smo se razvili.

This landscape shows up today

Taj je pejzaž danas prisutan na

on calendars, on postcards,

kalendarima, razglednicama,

in the design of golf courses and public parks

i projektima terena za golf i za javne parkove

and in gold-framed pictures

i u pozlatom uokvirenim slikama

that hang in living rooms

koje nalazimo u dnevnim sobama

from New York to New Zealand.

od Njujorka do Novog Zelanda.

It's a kind of Hudson River school landscape

Radi se o školi pejzaža sa reke Hadson

featuring open spaces

gde je u prvom planu prostranstvo

of low grasses

livada

interspersed with copses of trees.

u kojima tu i tamo leže oborena stabla.

The trees, by the way, are often preferred

Drveće nam se više dopada ako

if they fork near the ground,

se račva blizu tla

that is to say, if they're trees you could scramble up

odnosno, ako je takvo da biste se hitro mogli popeti na drvo

if you were in a tight fix.

ako se nađete u stisci.

The landscape shows the presence

Pejzaž ističe prisustvo

of water directly in view,

vode neposredno u prvom planu,

or evidence of water in a bluish distance,

ili nagoveštaj prisustva vode u plavičastoj izmaglici u daljini,

indications of animal or bird life

naslućivanje prisustva ptica i životinja

as well as diverse greenery

kao i raznovrsno rastinje

and finally -- get this --

i konačno - pazite ovo -

a path

staza

or a road,

ili put,

perhaps a riverbank or a shoreline,

možda obala reke ili mora

that extends into the distance,

koja se pruža u daljinu

almost inviting you to follow it.

i skoro da vas staza poziva da je sledite.

This landscape type is regarded as beautiful,

takav se pejzaž smatra lepim,

even by people in countries

čak i u zemljama

that don't have it.

u kojima ne postoji.

The ideal savanna landscape

Idealni pejzaž savane

is one of the clearest examples

jedan je od najjasnijih primera

where human beings everywhere

da ljudska bića

find beauty

nalaze lepotu

in similar visual experience.

u sličnim vizuelnim iskustvima.

But, someone might argue,

Ali, neko bi mogao reči

that's natural beauty.

da je to prirodna lepota.

How about artistic beauty?

šta je sa lepotom umetnosti?

Isn't that exhaustively cultural?

Nije li ona u najvećoj meri uslovljena kulturom?

No, I don't think it is.

Ne, ja mislim da nije.

And once again, I'd like to look back to prehistory

I još jednom, vratimo se u preistoriju

to say something about it.

i recimo nešto o tome.

It is widely assumed

Opšteprihvaćeno je mišljenje

that the earliest human artworks

da su najranija umetnička dela

are the stupendously skillful cave paintings

izvanredno vešto izvedene slikarije u pećinama

that we all know from Lascaux

takve kao one iz pećine Lasko

and Chauvet.

i Šove.

Chauvet caves

U pećinama Šove

are about 32,000 years old,

koje su stare oko 32000 godina

along with a few small, realistic sculptures

nalazimo i male realistične skulpture

of women and animals from the same period.

žena i životinja iz istog perioda.

But artistic and decorative skills

Ali veština ukrašavanja i slikanja

are actually much older than that.

mnogo je starijeg datuma.

Beautiful shell necklaces

Izvanredne ogrlice od školjaka

that look like something you'd see at an arts and crafts fair,

koji izgledaju kao komadi koje danas možete nači na sajmovima rukotvorina,

as well as ochre body paint,

i bojenje tela okrom

have been found

potiču

from around 100,000 years ago.

još od pre 100000 godina.

But the most intriguing prehistoric artifacts

No, najzanimljiviji preistorijski nalazi

are older even than this.

stariji su čak i od toga.

I have in mind

Mislim na

the so-called Acheulian hand axes.

takozvane akulejske sekirice

The oldest stone tools are choppers

Najstariji kameni alati su sekire

from the Olduvai Gorge in East Africa.

iz procepa Olduvaj u Istočnoj Africi.

They go back about two-and-a-half-million years.

One su stare više od dva i po miliona godina.

These crude tools

Ovi grubi alati

were around for thousands of centuries,

služili su hiljadama stoleća

until around 1.4 million years ago

sve dok pre milion i četiristo hiljada godina

when Homo erectus

homo erektus

started shaping

nije počeo da oblikuje

single, thin stone blades,

jednostruka sečiva od tankog kamena,

sometimes rounded ovals,

ponekad zaobljene ovale,

but often in what are to our eyes

ali najčešće takvog oblika koji na s podseća

an arresting, symmetrical pointed leaf

na upečatljiv oblik simetričnog šiljatog lista

or teardrop form.

ili na oblik suze.

These Acheulian hand axes --

Ove akulejske sekirice -

they're named after St. Acheul in France,

nazvane su po svetom Akuleju iz Francuske,

where finds were made in 19th century --

pronađene su u 19. veku -

have been unearthed in their thousands,

iskopano ih je na hiljade

scattered across Asia, Europe and Africa,

svuda po Aziji, Evropi i Africi,

almost everywhere Homo erectus

gotovo svuda gde su lutali homo erektus

and Homo ergaster roamed.

i homo ergaster

Now, the sheer numbers of these hand axes

I sam broj pronađenih sekirica

shows that they can't have been made

svedoči o tome da nisu mogle služiti za

for butchering animals.

ubijanje životinja.

And the plot really thickens when you realize

I stvar postaje sasvim zamršena kad shvatite

that, unlike other pleistocene tools,

da, za razliku od drugih alata iz pleistocena,

the hand axes often exhibit

na sekiricama najčešće nema oštećenja

no evidence of wear

niti istrošenosti

on their delicate blade edges.

delikatnih ivica oštrice.

And some, in any event, are too big

neke od njih su u svakom slučaju prevelike

to use for butchery.

da bi se koristile za obradu mesa.

Their symmetry, their attractive materials

Njihova simetrija, plemeniti materijali

and, above all,

i iznad svega,

their meticulous workmanship

neprikosnovena vrhunska izrada

are simply quite beautiful

jednostavno svojom lepotom

to our eyes, even today.

gode našem oku, čak i danas.

So what were these ancient --

Pa čemu su onda služili ovi prastari -

I mean, they're ancient, they're foreign,

mislim, prastare su, strane su,

but they're at the same time

ali su nam u isto vreme

somehow familiar.

na neki način poznate.

What were these artifacts for?

Čemu su služili ovi predmeti?

The best available answer

Najbolji odgovor koji imamo

is that they were literally

jeste da su to bukvalno

the earliest known works of art,

najstarija poznata umetnička dela

practical tools transformed

praktični predmet, alat, pretvoren je

into captivating aesthetic objects,

u upečatljiv umetnički predmet,

contemplated both for their elegant shape

privlačan kako zbog elegantnog oblika

and their virtuoso craftsmanship.

tako i zbog vrhunske izrade.

Hand axes mark

Sekirice obeležavaju

an evolutionary advance in human history --

evolucioni pomak u ljudskoj istoriji -

tools fashioned to function

alatke oblikovane da predstavljaju

as what Darwinians call "fitness signals" --

ono što Darvinisti nazivaju obeležjima snage -

that is to say, displays

odnosno, one su eksponati

that are performances

koji su zapravo predstave

like the peacock's tail,

kao paunov rep

except that, unlike hair and feathers,

osim što umesto vlasi i perja,

the hand axes are consciously

sekirice su smišljeno

cleverly crafted.

vešto obrađene.

Competently made hand axes

Vrhunski izvedene sekirice

indicated desirable personal qualities --

ukazivale su na poželjne kvalitete ličnosti -

intelligence, fine motor control,

inteligenciju, spretnost,

planning ability,

sposobnost planiranja,

conscientiousness

savesnost

and sometimes access to rare materials.

i ponekad pristup dragocenim materijalima.

Over tens of thousands of generations,

Desetinama hiljada generacija,

such skills increased the status

te su osobine uticale na uspon na društvenoj lestvici

of those who displayed them

onih koji su ih posedovali

and gained a reproductive advantage

pa su tako sticali prednost i u reproduktivnom pogledu

over the less capable.

nad manje sposobnima.

You know, it's an old line,

Znate, prilično je stara fora,

but it has been shown to work --

ali se pokazala veoma efikasnom -

"Why don't you come up to my cave, so I can show you my hand axes?"

"Što ne dođeš malo u moju pećinu, da ti pokažem sekirice."

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

Except, of course, what's interesting about this

Naravno, što je najinteresantnije,

is that we can't be sure how that idea was conveyed,

ne možemo sa sigurnošću tvrditi kako je ta ideja prenošena,

because the Homo erectus

jer homo erektus

that made these objects

koji je pravio ove predmete

did not have language.

nije imao jezik.

It's hard to grasp,

Teško je zamisliti,

but it's an incredible fact.

ali to je neverovatna istina.

This object was made

Ovaj je predmet načinio

by a hominid ancestor,

naš čovekoliki predak -

Homo erectus or Homo ergaster,

homo erektus ili homo ergaster -

between 50,000 and 100,000 years

50 ili 100 hiljada godina pre

before language.

nastanka jezika.

Stretching over a million years,

Tradicija koja se proteže milion godina,

the hand axe tradition

tradicija izrade sekirica

is the longest artistic tradition

jeste najstarija poznata umetnička tradicija

in human and proto-human history.

u istoriji ljudskog roda i pračoveka.

By the end of the hand axe epic, Homo sapiens --

Pri kraju epohe sekirica, homo sapiens -

as they were then called, finally --

tako su ih naposletku onda zvali -

were doubtless finding new ways

je nesumnjivo pronalazio nove načine

to amuse and amaze each other

da zadivi i zabavi sebi slične

by, who knows, telling jokes,

ko zna, možda i pričanjem viceva,

storytelling, dancing, or hairstyling.

pripovedanjem, plesom, ili uređivanjem kose.

Yes, hairstyling -- I insist on that.

Jeste, uređivanjem kose - insistiram na tome.

For us moderns,

U moderna vremena,

virtuoso technique

vrhunske tehnike

is used to create imaginary worlds

se primenjuju da bi se stvarali zamišljeni svetovi

in fiction and in movies,

u književnosti i u filmovima,

to express intense emotions

da bi se izrazila snažna osećanja

with music, painting and dance.

kroz muziku, slikarstvo ili ples.

But still,

Ali, ipak,

one fundamental trait

jedna suštinska osobina

of the ancestral personality persists

ličnosti naših predaka i dalje je prisutna

in our aesthetic cravings:

u estetskim sklonostima modernog čoveka:

the beauty we find

lepota koju nalazimo

in skilled performances.

u veštim izvedbama.

From Lascaux to the Louvre

Od Laskoa do Luvra

to Carnegie Hall,

ili Karnegi Hola,

human beings

ljudska bića

have a permanent innate taste

iskazuju nepromenjenu urođenu sklonost

for virtuoso displays in the arts.

za vrhunske izvedbe u umetnosti.

We find beauty

Lepotu nalazimo

in something done well.

u onome što je kvalitetno izvedeno.

So the next time you pass a jewelry shop window

Sledeći put kada prođete pored izloga sa nakitom

displaying a beautifully cut

u kome je izložen izvanredno izbrušeni

teardrop-shaped stone,

kamen oblika suze

don't be so sure

nemojte biti tako sigurni da

it's just your culture telling you

je to samo kultura koja vam nalaže

that that sparkling jewel is beautiful.

da svetlucavi kamenčić doživite kao nešto lepo.

Your distant ancestors loved that shape

Vaši daleki preci su voleli taj oblik

and found beauty in the skill needed to make it,

i pronalazili su lepotu u veštini koja je bila potrebna da bi se on stvorio,

even before

čak i pre

they could put their love into words.

nego što su umeli da svoju naklonost pretoče u reči.

Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?

Je li lepota u oku posmatrača?

No, it's deep in our minds.

Nije, ona je duboko usađena u našem umu.

It's a gift handed down from the intelligent skills

Ona je dar, koji smo dobili zahvaljujući veštini prilagođavanja

and rich emotional lives

i bogatom emocionalnom životu

of our most ancient ancestors.

većine naših pradavnih predaka.

Our powerful reaction to images,

Naša snažna reakcija na slike

to the expression of emotion in art,

na izkazivanje emocija u umetnosti

to the beauty of music, to the night sky,

na lepotu muzike ili noćnog neba

will be with us and our descendants

ostaće s nama i s našim potomcima

for as long as the human race exists.

dokle god bude ljudskog roda.

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)