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Who among the following coined the term 'aesthetics'?
Question

Who among the following coined the term 'aesthetics'?

A.

Arthur Danto

B.

Alexander Baumgarten

C.

Immanuel Kant

D.

David Hume

Correct option is B

Explanation:
The term aesthetics was first coined by Alexander Baumgarten in the 18th century. Baumgarten, a German philosopher, introduced the term in his work "Aesthetica" (1750–1758), where he defined it as the science of sensory knowledge, related to the study of beauty, taste, and artistic perception. He wanted to formalize the study of art and beauty as a distinct philosophical discipline.
Baumgarten's aesthetics was a reaction against the rigid rationalism of the time, emphasizing the importance of sensory experience and subjective perception. He suggested that the beauty of art could not merely be reduced to reason or logical thinking but should also involve emotions and sensations. Baumgarten laid the foundation for the development of aesthetics as a formal branch of philosophy, which would later be expanded upon by philosophers like Immanuel Kant.

Information Booster:
Alexander Baumgarten (1714–1762) was a German philosopher who is regarded as the founder of modern aesthetics. He was influenced by Christian Wolff and worked within the German Enlightenment. His emphasis on sensory experience and the importance of subjective emotional responses marked a shift from the rationalist tradition of philosophy.
Aesthetics as a discipline focuses on the nature of beauty, taste, art, and the creation and appreciation of beautiful things. Baumgarten is credited with turning aesthetics into an academic discipline with clear philosophical significance.
Baumgarten's work set the stage for later philosophers such as Immanuel Kant, who refined aesthetics and the philosophy of art in his Critique of Judgment (1790). Kant expanded on Baumgarten's work but took a more systematic approach to the concept of beauty and the sublime.

Additional Knowledge:
Arthur Danto was a prominent 20th-century philosopher of art known for his work in aesthetics, particularly his theory of the "artworld" and the concept of art's meaning within context. 
Immanuel Kant was a major philosopher in the 18th century who wrote extensively on aesthetics, particularly in The Critique of Judgment (1790). He developed the idea of the "judgment of taste".
David Hume was a Scottish philosopher whose work on aesthetics included the study of taste and beauty in Of the Standard of Taste (1757). However, like Kant, Hume was more focused on developing the theory of taste.


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