First published in 2002. This is Volume I out of three on a series on Aesthetics. First published in 1892, this volume contributes to the history of modern philosophy. Aesthetic theory is a branch of philosophy which exists for the sake of knowledge and not as a guide to practice. The present work is, therefore, primarily addressed to those who may find a philosophical interest in understanding the place and value of beauty in the system of human life, as conceived by leading thinkers in different periods of the world's history.