The Origins of Aesthetics and Beauty: from Antiquity to Classical Art
Description
Abstract (English)
This article explores the intellectual origins of aesthetic thought, tracing its evolution from antiquity to classical art and modern aesthetics. The concept of beauty is examined not merely as a matter of sensory pleasure but as a philosophical, ethical, and metaphysical phenomenon. Plato’s theory of ideas and Aristotle’s notion of mimesis form the foundational axis through which art’s relation to truth and knowledge is established. In Roman philosophy, Cicero’s principle of moral harmony, Seneca’s virtue-based conception of beauty, and Vitruvius’s theory of proportion collectively enrich the universality of aesthetic judgment. The study emphasizes that aesthetics should be understood not only as a historical category but also as a reflection of humanity’s pursuit of meaning within existence. Accordingly, the perception of beauty is reconsidered along a continuum extending from formal perfection to the sublime, and finally to the reproduction of meaning in contemporary art.
Abstract (Turkish)
Bu makale, estetik düşüncenin Antikçağ’dan başlayarak klasik sanat anlayışına ve modern estetik tartışmalara uzanan düşünsel kökenlerini incelemektedir. Güzellik kavramı, yalnızca duyusal beğeniye indirgenemeyecek ölçüde felsefi, etik ve metafizik bir derinliğe sahiptir. Platon’un idealar kuramı ile Aristoteles’in mimesis öğretisi, sanatın hakikatle ilişkisini belirleyen temel eksenleri oluşturur. Roma düşüncesinde Cicero’nun ahlaki uyum ilkesi, Seneca’nın erdem temelli güzellik anlayışı ve Vitruvius’un orantı kuramı, estetik yargının evrenselliğine katkıda bulunmuştur. Bu çalışma, estetiğin yalnızca tarihsel bir kategori değil, insanın varlıkla kurduğu anlam ilişkisinin felsefi bir yansıması olduğunu vurgulamaktadır. Böylece güzelliğin tanımı, biçimsel mükemmellikten yüce deneyime, oradan da çağdaş sanatta anlamın yeniden üretimine uzanan bir çizgide ele alınmaktadır.
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Additional details
Additional titles
- Translated title (Turkish)
- Estetik ve Güzelliğin Kökenleri: Antikçağ'dan Klasik Sanata Uzanan Düşünsel Miras
Dates
- Submitted
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2025-10-19received
- Updated
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2025-11-23Accepted
References
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