Aesthetics of Attentional Networks: Chinese Harmony and Greek Dualism

Abstract

Two forms of perception rise in aesthetic experience, corresponding to two complementary attentional networks in the bilateral brain identified by neuroscientists. Not all cultures have valued these perceptions equally. Traditional Chinese culture adheres to the Hybrid Brain model that integrates the stimulus-driven and task-driven modes of attention, as demonstrated by its positive assessment of emotions in human nature, sensuousness in Nature, and the nondualism of humans within Nature. In contrast, the dualistic aesthetics of ancient Greek culture espouses a hierarchical privileging of task-driven attention, characterized by a mistrust of emotion, a deep-seated fear of Nature, and an egocentric/anthropocentric perspective.