New Scenario of the Aesthetic

After discussing various dimensions of the current `aestheticization' trend (urban embellishment, cultural hedonism, advertising, computer aided design and production, life style, etc.), Wittgenstein´s notion of "family resemblance" is used to demonstrate the conceptual admissibility of describing these phenomena collectively as "aesthetic". It is then argued, however, that the most important aspect of this trend is an epistemological aestheticization which, having developed since Kant, has become the dominant view of cognition in the 20th century. Critique of aestheticization must be founded not on claims to truth or morality, but itself be formulated in aesthetic terms. Developed aesthetic sensibility is to counteract rampant aestheticization.