Aesthetics

In Western philosophy, “ethics” is essentially the study of the good, and “aesthetics” is essentially the study of the beautiful. They are both species of value theory, and as such, they share some common problems and features. In ethics, debate remains as to whether there is an absolute standard of the good or if goodness is relative to cultural norms; in aesthetics, debate considers whether beauty is universal or lies in the eye of the beholder. This entry first considers the nature of beauty and the role of art in human society. It then examines the nature of aesthetics in the context of business ethics and the various ways in which aesthetics can be taught in the business ethics classroom. It concludes with a look ...