Top 10 Books On Everyday Aesthetics

Everyday Aesthetics is a recent subfield of philosophical aesthetics focusing on everyday events, settings and activities in which the faculty of sensibility is saliently at stake. This is the definition of everyday aesthetics on Wiki.

A few years ago I applied this term to my lifestyle concept (which is everyday aesthetics lifestyle), as it was a perfect wording: so natural and so on point. Back then, I didn’t know much about the origins of the terms, and eventually decided to learn more. I wondered if my concept resonated with the philosophical side of everyday aesthetics. And I also hoped to find inspiration, learn new perspectives and points of view related to it.

As they say, he who seeks finds. So, I did my research and found out that there’s not much information, studies or research on everyday aesthetics. Nonetheless I did find some enthusiastic philosophers and researchers that are interested in the everyday aesthetics concept as much as I am.

The next goal was to pick such books and studies that are relatively easy to read for a non-scientific person like me. Keeping this in mind, I’ve made my own list of books and research papers to get familiar with. I’m sharing this list below, so if you’d like to get familiar with the concept or learn more about everyday aesthetics – keep reading. The chances are, you will get inspired and re-discover your own life!

 

WAIT! If you’re more of a visual learner, check out my new YouTube video where I detail everything in this post.

 

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Alexander Baumgarten - Aesthetica

This is the number one book on the list. Why? Simply because Alexander Baumgarten was the one who established Aesthetics as a discipline and defined it as the science of sensory knowledge, in his foundational work Aesthetica (1750). The book is huge and might not be as easy reading. So, though it’s the first on my list, I would recommend putting it to the end (or at least, to the middle) or your reading list.

Yuriko Saito - Everyday Aesthetics

Yuriko Saito is a professor of philosophy at Rhode Island School of Design. And when it comes to modern philosophers and authors, Saito is the leading figure in the field of everyday aesthetics studies.

Now, Everyday Aesthetics is a must-have reading for those who are interested in everyday aesthetics concept. In this book Saito Provides a detailed investigation into our everyday aesthetics experiences, and reveals how it impacts on our everyday lives. The book is available for purchase on Amazon, Koob and other online shops.

Yuriko Saito - Aesthetics of the Familiar: Everyday Life and World-making

Another book by Yuriko Sairo, where the author explores the nature and significance of the aesthetic dimensions of people's everyday lives. Highly recommend it! As well as the previous book, this one is also available for purchase on Amazon, Koob and other online shops.

Thomas Leddy – The Extraordinary in the Ordinary: The Aesthetics of Everyday Life

Now, this is the book that is still on my “to read” list. The book explores the aesthetics of the objects and environments we encounter in daily life. And the reason I’ve added it to the list is it has positive reviews from the readers. You can read the reviews or order the book on Amazon.

Ben Highmore – Ordinary Lives: Studies in the Everyday

In his book, Ben Highmore examines our relationship to familiar objects, repetitive work, media and food. As well as talks over what everyday life feels like and how our sensual, emotional and temporal experiences interconnect and intersect. The book is available on Amazon and the pre-copy of the edited version is available for download at Academia.

Pauline Brown - Aesthetic Intelligence. How to boost it and use it in business and beyond

Longtime leader in the luxury goods sector and former Chairman of LVMH North America, Pauline reveals the importance of aesthetic intelligence in both business-related goals and everyday life. Must-read for business owners! The book is available on Amazon, Koob and other online shops.


Now, let’s skip to the books you can download for free.

Yuriko Saito - Aesthetics of the Everyday

Aesthetics of the Everyday is an article published by professor Saito in 2015 and is available online at Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy site.

Yuriko Saito - The Aesthetics of Imperfection in Everyday Life

Another interesting reading from Saito. In this work the professor argues for the need to cultivate an aesthetic sensibility to appreciate imperfection in our everyday experience. She also argues that such an aesthetic sensibility should not be applied indiscriminately. The work can be found online at the Bloomsbury Collections (direct .pdf download).

Eds. Oiva Kuisma, Sanna Lehtinen and Harri Mäcklin - Paths from the Philosophy of Art to Everyday Aesthetics

The editors expand on Baumgarten's broad definition of aesthetics by editing a collection of new surveys showing some aspects of the paths leading from the aesthetics of art to everyday aesthetics. Published in Helsinki, Finland by the Finnish Society for Aesthetics in 2019, the book is available online at ResearchGate.

Lisa Giombini, Adrián Kvokačka – Everydayness. Contemporary Aesthetic Approaches

This work is a collection of twenty essays organized around four main thematic areas in the field of everyday aesthetics: Environment, The Body, Art and Cultural Practices, and Methodology. The authors discuss the philosophy of everydayness and the reason it is important as well as talk about the role of aesthetics in our dealings with everyday life. The collection is available online at ResearchGate.

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This is my current collection on everyday aesthetics reading. And I hope to extend it in the near future. Have some books in mind? If you do, let me know! I will be happy to add them to my collection and share with the other readers!