noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
aesthetics; esthetics
Refers to the philosophical study of beauty and art, or to a set of principles concerning beauty and taste. Can also be used attributively with の.
He is majoring in aesthetics at university.
One can feel a unique aesthetic in this architecture.
He has his own personal aesthetic about how things should be done.
She majored in aesthetics at university.
Cutting corners goes against his personal aesthetic principles.
美学 covers the broad philosophy of beauty and taste, whereas 芸術論 refers more narrowly to theories or discourse about art itself.
美学 is the philosophical study of beauty and taste, while 美術 refers to the visual arts themselves (paintings, sculpture, etc.), so the two are easily confused because both contain 美.
Compound of 美 (beauty) and 学 (study, learning). A Meiji-era coinage as a translation for Western 'aesthetics'.