Aesthetics

Etymology and History of Aesthetics

• The word 'aesthetic' is derived from the Ancient Greek αἰσθητικός (aisthētikós, perceptive, sensitive, pertaining to sensory perception).
• The term 'aesthetics' was coined by the German philosopher Alexander Baumgarten in 1735.
• Baumgarten chose aesthetics to emphasize the experience of art as a means of knowing.
• The term was introduced into the English language by Thomas Carlyle in 1825.
• The philosophy of art as aesthetics can be traced back to Aristotle and the ancient Greeks.
• Aristotle stated that various art forms are acts of mimesis, imitating nature through different mediums.
• Different art forms have highly structured procedures for achieving their purposes, such as rhythm and harmony in music, rhythm in dance, and language in poetry.
• Erich Auerbach further discussed the history of aesthetics in his book 'Mimesis.'

Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art

• Some distinguish aesthetics from the philosophy of art, but aesthetics considers questions of beauty and art.
• Aesthetic experience refers to the sensory contemplation or appreciation of an object, while artistic judgement refers to the recognition, appreciation, or criticism of art.
• Aesthetics examines topics such as art works, aesthetic experience, and aesthetic judgement.
• Philosophers of art study the varieties of art in relation to their physical, social, and cultural environments.
• Aesthetic psychology studies the creative process and the aesthetic experience.

Aesthetic Judgement, Universals, and Ethics

• Aesthetics examines affective domain response to an object or phenomenon.
• Judgements of aesthetic value rely on sensory discrimination but usually go beyond it.
• Delicacy of taste involves the ability to detect all the ingredients in a composition and sensitivity to both pleasure and pain.
• Enjoyment arises from sensation, but judging something to be beautiful requires reflective contemplation.
• Viewer interpretations of beauty may possess concepts of value: aesthetics and taste.
• Judgements of beauty are sensory, emotional, and intellectual all at once.
• Kant observed that beauty is subjective and universal, with certain things being beautiful to everyone.
• Władysław Tatarkiewicz identified six conditions for the presentation of art, including beauty, form, representation, reproduction of reality, and artistic expression.
• Taste is a result of an education process and awareness of elite cultural values.
• Bourdieu examined how exposure to different cultural values can result in variations in taste based on class, cultural background, and education.

Factors Influencing Aesthetic Judgment

• Cultural reactions shape aesthetic judgments.
• Aesthetic judgments are influenced by regional responses.
• Awe can physically manifest through increased heart-rate or pupil dilation.
• Dissonance can trigger aesthetic judgments.
• Aesthetic regionalism is a political stance against universal notions of beauty.

Relationship Between Aesthetics and Emotions

• Aesthetic judgments can be partially embodied in physical reactions.
• Emotions are conformed to cultural reactions.
• Awe can be inspired by a sublime landscape.
• Aesthetic judgments can evoke awe or other emotional responses.

Aesthetic Regionalism

• Francis Grose was the first critical aesthetic regionalist.
• Aesthetic regionalism challenges the universality of aesthetics.
• Aesthetic regionalism safeguards the counter-tradition of aesthetics.
• Aesthetic regionalism opposes the concept of beauty as a dictatorship.
• Aesthetic regionalism embraces what is considered un-beautiful in certain cultures.
• Aesthetic regionalism can be seen as a political statement.
• Aesthetic regionalism protects non-traditional forms of art.
• Aesthetic regionalism opposes the notion of beauty as universal.
• Aesthetic regionalism encompasses primitive art and camp art.
• Aesthetic regionalism challenges the concept of harmonious and cathartic art.

Aesthetics Data Sources