Is There Such a Thing as Good Taste?
Paul Graham’s essay Is There Such a Thing as Good Taste? argues that good taste does exist, contrary to relativism.
The Reductio ad Absurdum
If good taste doesn’t exist, then good art cannot exist. If good art cannot exist, then artists cannot be skilled at their craft. But artists clearly can be skilled—we can distinguish Leonardo da Vinci from a random eight-year-old.
Why People Doubt Good Taste
Two main reasons:
- Extraneous factors: People’s aesthetic responses are tangled with an artist’s fame or institutional prestige
- Shifting judgments: Experts’ judgments shift dramatically across generations, suggesting no objective standard
The Objectivity Question
Graham addresses the puzzle: if goodness isn’t physically present in an artwork, how can it be objective?
His answer: “Objectivity is not binary, but a matter of degree, depending on how much the subjects have in common.”
Just as vaccines demonstrate measurable effectiveness despite individual variation, art demonstrates quality through consistent human responses.
My Takeaway
While perfect taste is impossible, partial ordering of merit clearly exists. Some things are genuinely better than others—even if we can’t always articulate why.
How do you think about taste? I’d love to hear at persdre@gmail.com.