Aesthetics

                There are many forms of art, from music to paintings. Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of art. It involves many theories that examine the differences between art and non-art. Two of these theories are Formalism and Romanticism. Formalism is the idea that the purpose of art is to represent form and rationality. Romanticism states that art is not limited to only the form and rationality of a piece, but that the function of art is to express emotions.

            In the aesthetics debate, I side with the Romanticists. I believe that there is always some form of emotion triggered when viewing a work of art. Formalists fail to address the emotions that people feel when they look at a piece of art; they simply concentrate on the beauty and technique of the piece.

            Romanticism has more explanatory breadth than Formalism. Romanticism looks at the emotional aspects of art rather than just the beauty or form of the artwork. Formalists do not consider the emotional side of art.  If you look at many pieces of art, some paintings don't look beautiful and some songs don't sound beautiful, but they still make the person experiencing them feel something. 
            Romanticism has more explanatory depth than Formalism. Romanticism goes into greater depth than Formalism does. Romanticism is not limited to the Formalist view, by adding their belief in emotions expressed by artwork. It explains more pieces of work than Formalism can. Formalism is vague by just claiming that art is only judged by beauty because life itself is based on the emotions we feel towards something, not just the beauty of it. People are able to relate to any form of art, not just the pleasing, making  Romanticism a lot more plausible than Formalism.

            Formalism has more simplicity than Romanticism. It only focuses on the form and technique of art. Romanticists also take emotion into consideration. In Romanticism, artwork is viewed differently based on the person, making it more complicated. Formalists only find one meaning in artwork, based on the form of the piece.

            Romanticism is a lot more common now than Formalism is. When it comes to any form of art, people find a connection to it through their emotions. People judge artwork based in how it makes them feel rather than how it's structured or formed. It is not solely judged on the beauty of it, but also how it has an affect on the person's emotions. 

1. Romanticism and Formalism are the most plausible explanations when judging art.

2. Romanticism has more explanatory breadth, explanatory depth, and conservatism, whereas, Formalism has more simplicity.

3. Therefore, Romanticism is the best explanation when judging art.