Baumgarten

Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten was an 18th-century German philosopher who is considered the founder of aesthetics, the study of beauty and art. He introduced the idea that aesthetic experience is distinct from logical reasoning and emotion, emphasizing sensory perception's role in appreciation. Baumgarten believed that beauty and art evoke a unique kind of understanding and pleasure, enriching human experience. His work laid the foundation for later thinkers who explored how we perceive and value art, making him a key figure in developing the philosophy of aesthetics.