A History of Ideas - Barry Smith on the Philosophy of Good Taste

Download Barry Smith on the Philosophy of Good Taste

Philosopher and wine enthusiast Barry Smith samples David Hume's theory of good taste. The 18th century Scottish philosopher argued that the appreciation of beauty was not easily arrived at - it required dedication, knowledge, expertise. In that sense he is the godfather of the critic and the patron saint of the connoisseur. As he delves into our sense of 'good taste' Barry recounts a wine laden tale from Don Quixote, talks to Neuroscientist Semir Zeki and to Art Historian Liz Prettejohn.

This programme is part of a week of programmes looking at the history of ideas around Freedom.

Producer: Jolyon Jenkins.

Published on Tuesday, 18th November 2014.

Available Podcasts from A History of Ideas

Subscribe to A History of Ideas

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the A History of Ideas webpage.