Abstract

Why does aesthetics matter in aesthetic education? What are the issues that this area of philosophy deals with, and what kind of questions does it raise in relation to art and the experience one has when s/he comes into contact with a work of art? Moreover, how can aesthetic theory provide sufficient justification for establishing aesthetic education as an autonomous and important field in education? In addressing these fundamental questions, the author: A) follows the development of aesthetics as a series of transformations and continual engagement with the core issues related to art and the aesthetic experience. She argues that the task of aesthetic theory is to re-examine the conditions under which both art and the aesthetic experience are approached and, in the process, to challenge unsubstantiated claims and prejudices associated with them. B) The author also attempts to show how, due to its reflective and critical nature, aesthetics could become the foundation of aesthetic education. She argues that, as a result, questions of major importance for shaping the content and aims of aesthetic education can be fruitfully answered from the perspective of aesthetic theory.