ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the aesthetics of the Southwest. The word aesthetics itself was formulated in the mid-eighteenth century by the German philosopher Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten. Strongly influenced by Baumgarten's account of aesthetics, Immanuel Kant carried the analysis further in both his "Critique of Pure Reason" and his "Critique of Judgment". An intimate relationship can be seen to obtain between the aesthetic and religious values of a given cultural tradition. The chapter examines an architectural style called Pueblo as a prime example of regional architecture. By using Pueblo to designate a Southwestern regional style of architecture, reference is being made back to a tradition of building that is associated with Pueblo culture and has its origins with their ancestors. The most obvious adaptation of the Pueblo style by the Spaniard is to be found in the mission churches.
