The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) as an educational and informational tool has intensified the need for learners to develop discernment in evaluating the quality, reliability, and meaning of AI-generated knowledge. This paper argues that aisthetic/aesthetic education, understood in its original sense of aisthesis as knowledge grounded in sensory and embodied experience, provides an important foundation for cultivating such discernment. The study develops a theoretical framework that connects aesthetic experience with the formation of judgement and practical wisdom in educational settings. The paper employs a philosophical and historical analysis of aesthetic thought, tracing the concept of aisthesis from Ancient Greek philosophy through German Idealism and Romanticism, particularly the work of Schiller, Goethe, and Herbart, to the educational theories of Dewey and contemporary perspectives such as Ingold’s concept of attentionality. These theoretical perspectives are examined alongside the pedagogical practices of Steiner Waldorf education as an example of how aisthetic/aesthetic experiences can be systematically embedded across the curriculum. The analysis suggests that embodied engagement with materials, artistic processes, and sensory-rich learning experiences cultivates dispositions toward attentiveness, appreciation, and reflective judgement. Such capacities are essential for navigating complex contemporary environments shaped by AI and digital media. The paper concludes that aisthetic/aesthetic education offers a valuable pedagogical approach for fostering discernment, though further empirical research is needed to investigate its long-term educational effects and practical implications.
Martyn Rawson (Tue,) studied this question.