"[Dutton’s] discussion of the arts and of our responses to them is uniformly insightful and penetrating . . . he touches on all the major issues of aesthetics in this fairly short book and invariably illuminates them . . . Dutton’s eloquent account sheds light on the role art plays in our lives, whatever its ultimate origins"—Anthony Gottlieb, New York Times Book Review

"As he observes in his provocative new book, The Art Instinct, people the world over are weirdly driven to create beautiful things . . . Dutton is an elegant writer, and his book should be admired for its attempt to close the gap between art and science."—Jonah Lerner, Washington Post Book World


"Mr. Dutton's book is anything but strident. He argues his thesis—that art-making evolved among humans as a means of demonstrating physical and cognitive fitness to potential mates, and that this fundamental reality provides the best answer we can give to the question “What is art?”—with almost old-fashioned politeness toward his adversaries. And that, perhaps, is the best way to read The Art Instinct: as a guided tour of the great landmarks of the philosophy of art—aesthetic theory explained, modified and refuted with patience and fluency by a writer whose mind was apparently formed well in advance of the meme-ocracy it helped to create."—New York Observer

"A substantial contribution to the debate we ought to be having."—Martin Kemp, The New Scientist

"The Art Instinct gives a comprehensive survey of the field, written with fluency, wit, and wide erudition."—John Derbyshire, New Criterion

"The Art Instinct offers fresh and liberating ideas while demonstrating Dutton's profound sense of curiosity and his willingness to take risks while dealing with puzzling and largely fragmentary pre-history."—Robert Fulford, National Post (Canada)

"Why do we human beings make art?...That is the question raised and answered, more or less, in this intriguing book. Author Dennis Dutton teaches philosophy, has done archaeological work in New Guinea and is founder of the popular Arts & Letters Daily Web site. Art's appeal, he argues, is lodged in our genes and in the genes of our Ice-Age ancestors, those shaggy forebears who first painted cave walls and told stories around the campfire."—Dallas Morning News