Legal Writing

Aesthetic or Aesthetical?

I noticed the following use of aesthetical in a comment on an English site:

Thus I use the incorrect case [object form instead of subject form] as my domain name for aesthetical reasons.

The correct word here is aesthetic. The writer is not concerned with the science of aesthetics, but with his personal aesthetic feelings about the beauty of words.

aesthetic adj. Of or pertaining to the appreciation or criticism of the beautiful.

One has aesthetic feelings, aesthetic reasons, aesthetic sensibilities.

Aesthetical, on the other hand, is used to modify things relating to the science of aesthetics. For example, Frederich Schiller wrote aesthetical essays. The professor enumeraeted the aesthetical values of photography.

aesthetic n. (commonly pl. sthetics, as collect. sing.) The science which treats of the conditions of sensuous perception.

aesthetical adj. Of or relating to sthetics; relating to the philosophy or theory of beauty. _ Often interchanged in use with sthetic, but properly distinct; thus my sthetical notions are the notions I have on the subject of sthetics; my sthetic faculties are those which exercise sthetics. –OED

Aesthetic or Aesthetical?

Full post as published by Daily Writing Tips on April 27, 2009 (boomark / email).