In this conversation, I sit down with 93-year-old philosopher Dr. Arnold Berleant, Professor Emeritus at Long Island University and one of the most influential voices in contemporary aesthetics. We dive deep into his revolutionary concept of "aesthetic engagement" – a radical departure from traditional art appreciation that challenges Kant's classical notion of "disinterested contemplation." Instead of standing back and observing art from a distance, Berleant argues that true aesthetic experience requires us to put ourselves at stake, to become vulnerable participants rather than detached observers. He shares a captivating story about being hypnotized by an ordinary Tintoretto portrait in Vienna, illustrating how authentic aesthetic connection happens not through art historical knowledge but through direct, personal engagement.

Our conversation explores the accessibility of aesthetic value in everyday life – from the steam rising from your morning coffee to the shadows cast by trees on snow. Berleant introduces the concept of "everyday aesthetics," revealing how we're constantly making aesthetic decisions in arranging our living spaces, choosing what to wear, and moving through the world. We grapple with challenging questions about whether "good art" exists objectively or emerges from the relationship between perceiver and object, and why aesthetic education has been systematically stripped from schools in favor of more "practical" subjects. The discussion becomes particularly poignant as we examine how commercial and capitalist values have co-opted our capacity for genuine aesthetic experience, turning the internet into a marketplace and our yearning for beauty into a travel industry.

Throughout our dialogue, Berleant emphasizes that aesthetic sensitivity is fundamental to being truly alive – that to be insensitive to the world around us is to be among the "walking dead." His perspective on environmental aesthetics is equally revolutionary, arguing that we aren't separate from our environment but rather participants in an environmental complex. This conversation offers both a philosophical framework for understanding beauty and a practical invitation to live more aesthetically engaged lives, recognizing that the capacity for meaningful aesthetic experience is accessible to everyone, everywhere, at every moment.