What Is Beauty?: Aesthetics, Attention, and Shared Humanity with Angela Sun

In this episode, we sit down with Assistant Professor of Philosophy Angela Sun to explore the question at the heart of this season: “What is beauty?” Through reflections on philosophy, music, art and everyday life, Sun challenges the idea that beauty is merely subjective, inviting us instead to see it as a shared human practice shaped by attention, openness and community. She discusses how aesthetic commitments — from punk music and Taylor Swift to knitting and film — help shape our identities over time, and why education and curiosity are essential to recognizing beauty in unexpected places. This conversation offers a thoughtful reminder that beauty is not only something we admire but something we learn to see together.