Philosophy
The Aesthetics of Ruins and the Philosophy of Decay
Quick fact
The 18th-century European elite deliberately built fake ruins (folies) in their gardens to capture the aesthetic pleasure of decay, a practice that shows how the appreciation of ruins is culturally constructed rather than natural.
Why this is interesting
You've probably paused to admire an abandoned building or a crumbling castle. Why does decay, something we usually see as loss, sometimes feel so beautiful?