The Philosopher's Choice. Władysław Tatarkiewicz Remarks on 18th Century Aesthetics

This paper will explore how Tatarkiewicz addresses eighteenth-century aesthetics in his works, focusing particularly on History of Aesthetics (1960-67) and A History of Six Ideas (1975). The aim is to assess whether his treatment of this subject remains relevant and valuable for contemporary scholars. Tatarkiewicz’s History of Aesthetics concludes just before the onset of modernity, offering only a brief overview of the period under the heading “The End of the Epoch”. This paper seeks to investigate the rationale behind and the consequences of Tatarkiewicz’s conception of eighteenthcentury aesthetics from both historical and theoretical perspectives.