In the Eye; But Why?
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- 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
- Location
- Lynchburg, Virginia
- Digital Format
- 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
Part of In the Eye; But Why?
