The Philosophy of Aesthetic Values in George Santayana

Abstract

The philosophy of aesthetic values ​​developed by the thinker and philosopher George Santayana (1863–1952) represents a pivotal turning point in the history of modern aesthetics. He succeeded in shifting aesthetic inquiry away from idealistic metaphysical abstraction toward a naturalistic and psychological approach that explores the origins of human appreciation. Santayana’s central thesis—articulated in his seminal work *The Sense of Beauty* (1896)—defines beauty as "pleasure objectified." From this perspective, beauty is no longer viewed as a property inherent in external objects independently; rather, it is a positive, intrinsic, and subjective value bestowed upon the external world by human consciousness, merging psychological pleasure with sensory perception to transform it into an objective aesthetic experience.               

This naturalistic and psychological orientation emerged through Santayana’s critical re-examination and intellectual engagement with three major philosophical currents that had dominated the history of aesthetics for centuries.                                                                              

The researcher concluded that "Santiana" successfully re-established the direct human experience and provided a comprehensive, natural, and psychological perspective that explores aesthetic value as a product of the human being's organic and sensory engagement with the physical world .