Aesthetics

**When is an Object Aesthetically Valuable?**

 * ("Object": artwork, literary work, music work, etc.)**

===5. An object is aesthetically valuable if it helps us **cope with emotions or attitudes that are not beneficial**, such as negative emotions. As Aristotle said, “a tragedy provokes a catharsis of pity and fear.”===

===7. An object has aesthetic value if it has **Beauty** or “significant form,” which means that it is interesting, appealing and perhaps even inspiring in the way it is put together. It provokes positive emotions. Thomas Aquinas said that a thing of beauty has “Wholeness, Harmony and Radiance.”===

__SUMMARY of points about what a given work of art may do or be --__
===1. It **teaches us** **truths,** 2. It teaches us about **its culture or artist**, 3. It brings about **beneficial social change,** 4. It produces **pleasure**, 5. It helps us **cope with negative emotions**, 6. It **stimulates our imaginations and frees our minds**, 7. It is **beautiful and harmonious**. 8. It is **difficult to reason about**.===