Stieren Arts Enrichment Series: James Shelley

Here are two commonplaces about beauty: it’s skin-deep and in the eye of the beholder. Dr. James Shelley thinks each commonplace is false, but also thinks neither would be commonplace if it didn’t get at something true.

Beauty is not skin-deep: if it were, attributing beauty to things we neither see nor hear—novels, ideas, proofs, minds, characters, and so on—wouldn’t be routine. Still, though beauty goes beyond what we see and hear, our awareness of it is essentially perspectival just as seeing and hearing are. Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder: if it were, we wouldn’t treat it as something we can argue about, agree and disagree about—as something, in short, we have in common. Still, though beauty is not merely subjective, the perspectives from which we glimpse it rarely coincide. What might beauty be if it is a value that is neither skin-deep nor merely subjective, yet thoroughly perspectival?

Join Dr. James Shelley this evening for an engaging public lecture in which he attempts an answer.

Dr. James Shelley is Professor of Philosophy at Auburn University. He works primarily on aesthetic value, with broader interests in philosophy of the arts. His recent publications include “Intelligible Beauty,” “A Simple Theory of Aesthetic Value,” and “What Is Aesthetic Value?”. He currently serves as president of the American Society for Aesthetics, the leading professional organization for his field in North America.

Lecture starts at 7:30 p.m. with a reception immediately following.

From theatre productions to thought-provoking lectures, Trinity University’s 2026-27 Stieren Arts Enrichment Series offers an exciting lineup for all to enjoy.

Each year, this series brings to campus a diverse array of leaders in the arts and humanities who share their expertise and works with the Trinity and local community. All events are free and open to the public.

The Stieren Arts Enrichment Series is made possible by an endowment gift from Jane and the late Arthur Stieren of San Antonio.