Abstract: I argue that some simple things are aesthetically valuable, or beautiful, because they are simple. I give an account of simple beauty as beauty in simplicity. I then address some suspicions about simple beauty. Some people allege that simple beauty is at odds with our aesthetic agency; simple beauty teaches us to be overly passive. In fact, I argue, simple beauty promotes certain kinds of aesthetic agency. Others allege that simple things do not warrant sustained appreciation; only complex objects, it is claimed, can do the trick. I argue that simple beauties present existential truths that warrant sustained awareness because of their importance and our forgetfulness.

Bio: John Dyck is Lecturer in Philosophy at Auburn University. His main research interests are in aesthetics, moral philosophy, and the philosophy of art. He has recently published articles on country music and on comics.