Paul Bloom: How Pleasure Works

Why are original paintings more valuable than forgeries? Why do people pay millions for abstract art? How do creations such as Marcel Duchamp's urinal become prized art in the first place? Author Paul Bloom presents evidence from his recent book How Pleasure Works to assert that our understanding and appreciation of art—including contemporary art—reflects universal aspects of human nature. Bloom argues that the experience of art is not special: there are deep parallels between the pleasures we derive from artwork and the pleasures we experience from food and sex. Bloom is a professor of psychology at Yale University. His research addresses how children and adults understand the physical and social world, with special focus on morality, religion, fiction, and art.

This annual lecture recognizes a generous multiyear grant from the Spencer Foundation, which seeks both to support and disseminate exemplary research about education, broadly conceived.