OK ... someone recently asked me ... "Janet, why an unltd.com site for aesthetics ... where are you going with this?" So ... below - for those who want to know - are a brief definition and a few, beginning thoughts on the subject.
Aesthetics - also spelled esthetics - is a branch of philosophy that encompasses the nature of beauty, art, and taste - and there is such a thing as categorically good taste (I'll look for some feedback on that!) - and the creation of beauty and beautiful, "rythmically" (subject for another post!) designed environments.
"Aesthetic" scholars refer to the dicipline as critically reflecting on art, culture, and nature. Aesthetics is also considered a subdiscipline of "axiology" which involves the study of the nature and quality of "value". In "scientific" realms, aesthetics has been deemed the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, also referred to as judgments of sentiment and taste.
A group, the American Society of Aesthetics, includes in its membership those interested in philosophy as it relates to art, art theory, and art criticism. For Anglo-Irish literary giant, Oscar Wilde, the contemplation of beauty for beauty's sake was not only the foundation for much of his literary career, but he was quoted as saying, "Aestheticism is a search after the signs of the beautiful. It is the science of the beautiful through which men seek the correlation of the arts. It is, to speak more exactly, the search after the secret of life."
I invite you to begin your search for the aesthetic here. The search for and openness to the beauty in "life" ... in all its facets ... on the real and intangible planes ... is what makes life special to the extent of raising it to the sublime. There really are no facets of our lives that don't relate to the aesthetic realm and the value judgments we make. We know what we like when we see it. We appreciate a created environment that our senses tell us is well done. What many don't know ... there are rules and reasons ... even mathematical calculations that are taken into account - in the creation of pleasing aesthetic tableaus. And that's why it matters so much. True beauty - no matter whatever else is going on around us - will always claim the attention and give a boost to the heart, the mind, and the spirit.
Looking forward to your thoughts on the subject. Meanwhile ... here's to good taste!
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