Aesthetic sensitivity is a core idea in empirical aesthetics, referred to the appreciation of sensory objects. Throughout the history of the discipline, it has been conceptualized in many ways. Two antagonistic notions of aesthetic sensitivity encompass most contributions in the literature: On one side, the promoters of a normative notion—comprising determinist and educative views—devised it for educational purposes. On the other, the advocates of sensitivity as responsiveness to sensory stimulation—as sensitivity is commonly understood and defined conceived it as a means to investigate sensory valuation. This chapter critically reviews each notion’s emergence and development through its leading proponents, considering their influences, context, and scientific impact.
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Ana Clemente (2022) studied this question.