Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy concerned with human values, the creation and perception of art, and the essence and laws of beauty. It deals with the most general principles of aesthetic cognition of the world through human activities like art. Aesthetic activity can take practical, artistic, technical, spiritual, cultural, emotional, and intellectual forms. It occurs on several levels from individual aesthetic perception and taste, to aesthetic ideals, doctrines, and views that shape a society's standards and direction.

1. What is Aesthetics?
SOURCE DEFINITION: Aesthetics is……….
Greek Natural Philosophers A part of Philosophy
to present a picture of the world in TOTO.
Aristotle Poetics and nature of Beauty and Art.
Plato Educating man by state control.
Socrates Related with Ethics.
Thomas Aquinas To serve God with the help of Art.
Leonardo Da Vinci To examine the relationship of Nature and Art.
Boileau To set standard for Art.
Baumgarten Analyze sensual cognition of the world.
Hegel Realm of the beautiful to define place of Art.
Neo-positivists Theoretically pin down the practice of Art.
Marx Social role of Art.
“Aesthetics is that branch of knowledge which deals with the historically determined essence of Human
values, their creation, perception, appreciation and assimilation”.
• It is a philosophical science concerned with the most general principle of aesthetic cognition of the
world through any human activity ,specially art, which formulates confirms and perfects the result of
this cognition according to the laws of beautiful.
• Deals with the essence & laws of Art.
• Aesthetics is not directly utilitarian.

2. Aesthetic activity
Aesthetic activity in industry & technology came to known as design.- industrial production of a functional &
beautiful article.
Aesthetic activity can be
practical : landscape, cooking, etc,
artistic :paintings.
technical :machine & tools (Bauhaus)

3. spiritual-cultural, emotional & intellectual.
LEVELS OF AESTHETIC ACTIVITY
Aesthetic perception : individual’s understanding of the universal values in the real
world.
Aesthetic taste : System of aesthetic preferences based on aesthetic perception.
Aesthetic ideals : Standard and direction of activity, does not necessarily coincide
with the reality.
Aesthetic ideal is the notion of harmony and perfection in life & culture which turns into a goal ,standard
and direction of man’s activity towards changing the world and creating culture.
LEVELS OF AESTHETIC ACTIVITY
Aesthetic doctrine :
are the historical experience of aesthetic activity of a given society which has been theoretically interpreted &
formulated as a scientific system.
Aesthetic view:
System of aesthetic concepts prevailing in the societies.