aestho-physiology

English

Alternative forms

• æstho-physiology

Etymology

Coined by English philosopher and biologist Herbert Spencer in 1872, from (a)esthesis +‎ -o- +‎ physiology.

Noun

aestho-physiology (uncountable)

1. (archaic, uncommon) The science of the relation between conscious human sensation and the physical nervous system.
   • 1950, International Perfurmer‎^[1], volumes 1–3, page iii:

     In addition to this there is the aesthetics of the subject and that leads naturally to what is sometimes called aestho-physiology or the study of the organs of sensation.

   • 1968, Heating and Ventilation for a Human Environment […]‎^[2], page 20:

     A vast amount of unravelling has been going on in the field of aestho-physiology; a few people, like Trystan Edwards and Corbusier, have stated principles which throw new light on old facts, but we still await a Lord Rutherford.

   • 1986, Shibani Roy, Nicotine Water to Heroin‎^[3], page 6:

     Although there is no general agreement on either the nature of experience or the substance of aestho-physiology, certain kinds of experiences have been highly valued for their aesthetic quality.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:aestho-physiology.

Further reading

• “æstho-physiology”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.