“Rationalist Aesthetics”: Consonance and Perfection in 17th Century Philosophy

The 17^th century saw incredible developments in philosophy, art and science. However, many claim that certain philosophers in the era, like Descartes and Spinoza were uninterested in the arts and in their effect on the human experience. My aim in this project is to challenge assumptions that ‘rationalist’ philosophers in the 17^th century were uninterested in ‘aesthetic’ topics and show that they were deeply concerned with the nature of aesthetic properties in a way that is essential for understanding their approach to epistemic and ethical cultivation. Moreover, I argue that they provide a unique approach to aesthetic issues that bridges aesthetic attitudes of the Renaissance and the 18^th century.

Dr. Domenica Romagni is an Associate Professor in the Philosophy Department at Colorado State University. She specializes in Early Modern philosophy, philosophy of music and aesthetics, and history and philosophy of science, with additional interests in philosophy of mind. Her research focuses on aesthetic perception in the 17th century philosophy, explanatory virtues and scientific theory-building in the Early Modern period, and musical perception. Before joining the philosophy department at Colorado State University, she earned her PhD at Princeton University under the supervision of Daniel Garber, her BA with a concentration in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University, and her BM in cello performance from the Peabody Conservatory.