Contradiction That Never Was: Epigenesis versus Modularity in Evolutionary Aesthetics

Coevolutionary aesthetics has been forming since the early 2010s. Its contribution of great value inclusion cultural evolution into Darwinian theories on origins art and aesthetic judgement. – or non-modular evolutionary as it is sometimes called emphasizes that behavior develops in a specific social environment. suggests traditional aesthetics, drawing from psychology, ignored this. The critical position stems widely accepted notions humans adapt plastically to changing conditions there no «innate» module mind. What not examined modularity itself often considered condition for plasticity My main argument inference metarepresentational without direct fitness-increasing functions. psychological are thus more complementary than contradictory. Combining modular coevolutionary thinking most consilient way forward aesthetics.