In the Eye; But Why?

Where to find this in the Library

You may access the physical version of this item by going to the Reading Room Reference Desk. Please provide the library staff with either the title and location of this item or the item's catalog call number.

Identifier

JML.SphexClub_Payne_20260108

Title

In the Eye; But Why?

Description

Text of a lecture delivered to the Sphex Club on January 8, 2026. In this reflective SPHEX presentation, Kimball Payne explores the nature of beauty, especially in natural landscapes, asking whether beauty is objective, subjective, or both. Inspired by moments spent outdoors, he surveys philosophical, psychological, scientific, and artistic theories of beauty, drawing on thinkers from Plato and Kant to modern neuroscientists and landscape researchers. Payne examines attempts to measure scenic beauty through surveys, eye-tracking, neuroscience, fractals, the Golden Ratio, and artificial intelligence, while questioning whether scientific methods can fully explain aesthetic experience. He argues that beauty involves emotional, spiritual, and sensory dimensions that transcend pure measurement. Ultimately, he concludes that beauty exists inherently in creation but is perceived through individual experience, culture, and circumstance, and that people discover beauty by slowing down and paying attention.

Date

8 January 2026

Creator

Payne, L. Kimball, III

Subject

Beauty -- history

topic

beauty, aesthetics, landscape, philosophy, scenic quality, subjectivity, objectivity, Immanuel Kant, David Hume, Golden Ratio, fractals, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, natural landscapes, sublime, perception, psychophysics, aesthetics of nature, scenic beauty assessment, spirituality

Location

Lynchburg, Virginia

Digital Format

pdf

Language

English

Publisher

Sphex Club (Lynchburg, Va.)

Repository

George M. Jones Library Association

Rights

Payne, L. Kimball, III

George M. Jones Library Association

Rights Holder

George M. Jones Library Association