Translation: Sentiment: The Basis for Developing Aesthetic Judgment

Abstract

Consciously or unconsciously, programmes in higher education maintain a value framework about the aesthetic value of students’ work, primarily based on the ability of such work to touch or move us. We consider something aesthetically valuable when it makes us feel good. In an educational environment, however, dealing with aesthetic value judgments pedagogically is complicated. After all, aesthetic judgment is a skill that cannot be taught explicitly; it can only be practised. This article discusses the underlying mechanisms of aesthetic judgment. The aim is to gain a better understanding of this skill and thus to contribute to the development of a pedagogy of aesthetic judgment. Relying on a theoretical framework developed on the basis of a literature review, we suggest that judging aesthetic value is an emotional process that requires well-formed aesthetic sentiment. Architectural education is an interesting case because it is a field in which aesthetic values occupy a central position. This study is therefore illustrated with examples from this field.