Guy Sircello

Sircello's book Love and Beauty (1989) provides a sketch of his theory, which encompasses such topics as arousal, expansion, sublimity, and indulgence. He considers the implications of his theory for aesthetics and ethics. He also develops theories of pleasure, quality, beauty and love.

Sircello was a professor of philosophy at the University of California Irvine from 1966 until his death in 1992 at the age of 55. He earned his PhD from Columbia University in 1965. He taught at Reed College before becoming a founding member of UC Irvine's Philosophy department. While at Irvine he served as associate dean of undergraduate studies from 1973 to 1977, dean of undergraduate studies from 1978 to 1983, chair of the Committee on Educational Policy from 1988 to 1989, and as the Philosophy Department's director of graduate studies from 1990 until his death. Sircello was active in the American Society for Aesthetics and served as the president of its Pacific Division from 1978 to 1979. His emphasis was in analytic philosophy of aesthetics, and he was best known for what he called his New Theory of Beauty

In Hamburg, the Sircello's first child, Maria Anne Sircello was born, and the family returned to New York with another daughter as well, an adopted daughter, Deborah Ruth Sircello. In New York, the family grew as the Sircellos also became foster parents to Deborah's brothers, Billie, Alexander, and Constantine (Stan). In 1963, another daughter, Pier Andrea, was born in New York City just prior to the family's move to Portland, so that Guy could join the Reed faculty. In Portland, in 1965, another daughter, Anne-Marie Sircello was born, not long after the death of Maria Anne, who had been born with multiple serious disabilities. In 1966, the entire family of eight moved to Irvine, and finally, in 1967, the final child of the Sircello family, Christopher Chapin Sircello, was born. Guy was an attentive and involved father, and enjoyed family camping outings to Yosemite, a three-month family camping trip to Europe, and visits to museums, concerts, and the ballet. He was a major influence, along with Sharon, in three of his children becoming professional dancers, two others becoming professional visual artists, and another an accomplished amateur pianist.

Guy Sircello was born in Tacoma, Washington, and attended Lincoln High School. His parents were Pete and Teresa Sircello, and he had a younger sister, Teresa. Upon high school graduation, he was awarded the prestigious George Baker full four-year scholarship to Reed College, in Portland, Oregon, and graduated in 1958 with a double major in philosophy and history. In 1960, he married Sharon Chapin, a fellow Reed graduate, and shortly after, they left New York for Hamburg, where he had a Fulbright grant to further his studies of Ernst Cassirer, the subject of his doctoral dissertation at Columbia University.

Guy Sircello (1936–1992) was an American philosopher best known for his analytic approach to philosophical aesthetics.