Abstract

The organization of The Aesthetics of Thomas Aquinas is straightforward: after an initial chapter on aesthetics in medieval culture, Eco proceeds to the most general consideration of the transcendental character of beauty. He then moves to the aesthetic subject in a consideration of visio, then to the object in a consideration of the formal criteria of beauty. He follows that up with a chapter on "Concrete Problems and Applications," then goes on to the theory of art and the role of judgment, followed by a concluding chapter.