The demands of taste in Kant's aesthetics

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Philosophers have traditionally categorized beauty as either objective, with universal judgments, or subjective, as mere personal preferences. Immanuel Kant presents a distinct perspective, arguing that beauty is subjective while the judgment of taste holds universal validity. He posits that beauty is not an inherent quality of objects but reflects our responses to them. The judgment of taste is an aesthetic judgment, based on the pleasure derived from an object, and carries an implicit demand for universal agreement on its beauty. Kant's views have sparked debate, particularly regarding the nature of this demand and the success of his justification. Brent Kalar contends that the demands of taste should be viewed through a lens of unique aesthetic normativity grounded in Kant's cognitive psychology. By properly understanding the source of aesthetic pleasure in cognitive faculties, Kalar suggests that Kant's justification of taste's demands can be deemed successful. This perspective leads to a fresh interpretation of Kant's conception of beauty, re-evaluating the interplay between 'free play' and 'form of purposiveness' in his aesthetics and reaffirming the importance of 'aesthetic ideas' in his theoretical framework.