The German philosopher Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten (17141762) introduced aesthetics as a new science in his Reflections on Poetry (1735) and developed this new part of philosophy in a series of later works, culminating in his unfinished Aesthetics (1750/1758). This volume is the first collection of essays in the English language devoted to Baumgartens aesthetics. The essays highlight the distinguishing features of Baumgartens aesthetics, situate it in its historical context, document its reception, and examine its contributions to contemporary philosophy.

J. Colin McQuillan isassociateprofessor of philosophy at St Mary's Unversity, Texas. He is the co-editor, with Joseph Tanke, of theBloomsbury Anthology of Aesthetics and author ofEarly Modern Aesthetics(Rowman& Littlefield International).

Introduction

J. Colin McQuillan

1.Baumgartens Invention of Aesthetics

Ursula Franke

2. BaumgartensAesthetics: Topics and the ModernArs inveniendi

Stefanie Buchenau

3. Beauty and Appearance in Baumgartens Metaphysics and Aesthetics

Matthew McAndrew

4. Baumgartens Conception of Aesthetic Truth in theAesthetics

Angelica Nuzzo

5. PietistAisthsisand Moral Education in the Works of Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten

Simon Grote

6. Wolffian Rationalism and Baumgartens Aesthetics

J. Colin McQuillan

7. The Co-Founding of Aesthetics: Baumgarten and Meier

Alessandro Nannini

8.An Exercise in Humanity: Baumgarten and Mendelssohn on the Importance of Aesthetic Training

Anne Pollok

9.Herders Engagement with Baumgarten

Hans Adler

10.The Majesty of Cognition: The Sublime in Baumgarten, Mendelssohn, and Kant

Robert R. Clewis

11.The Discipline of Aesthetics is the Aesthetics of Discipline: Baumgarten from Foucaults Perspective

Christoph Menke

12.The Happy Aesthetician and the Feminist Killjoy: Baumgarten and Ahmed

Amelia Hruby