Rethinking Changing Aesthetic Approaches in Architectural Theories

In this research, theoretical texts from the field of architecture -concerned with the aesthetics of architecture- from antiquity to present are analyzed in terms of aesthetic value. The research was carried out by revealing the architectural contexts in which these texts were written and values included, to understand and classify the ontological statuses of these values. From the gathered data, it is discovered that the profession of architecture became more specified and gained importance along with the practicing architect. On the other hand, the changes at the aesthetic value-gaining/judgement processes were discovered to be closely related with increasing subjectivity and increasing importance of rationalist thought, in parallels with professional specification and increasing importance and effectiveness of the ‘subject’. In such a context, ontologically, four different value statuses were encountered. The effects of the ontological shift between these statuses on the semantical content of architectural texts, were interpreted afterwards