Aesthetics (also spelt æsthetics or esthetics) is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art and taste and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgements of sentiment and taste. More broadly, scholars in the field define aethetics as "critical reflection on art, culture and nature." Aesthetics is a subdiscipline of axiology, a branch of philosophy and is closely associated with the philosophy of art. Aesthetics studies new ways of seeing and of perceiving the world.
- Wikipedia
Aesthetics may be defined narrowly as the theory of beauty, or more broadly as that together with the philosophy of art.
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Ethics
Ethics (also known as moral philosophy) is a branch of philosophy which seeks to address questions about morality; that is, about concepts such as good and bad, right and wrong, justice and virtue.
- Wikipedia
The field of ethics involves systematising, defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong behaviour. Philosophers divide ethical theories into three general subject areas: metaethics, normative ethics and applied ethics.
Metaethics is the study of the origin and meaning of ethical concepts. Two prominent issues are (1) metaphysical issues concerning whether morality exists independently of humans and (2) psychological issues concerning the underlying mental basis of our moral judgements and conduct.
Normative ethics involves arriving at moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct.
Applied ethics is the branch of ethics which consists of the analysis of specific, controversial moral issues. These issues have been subdivided into groups such as medical ethics, business ethics, environmental ethics and sexual ethics.
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
