Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten

Born 17 July 1714 in Germany, Baumgarten was the younger brother of theologian Siegmund Jakob Baumgarten. He carved out aesthetics as a distinct branch of philosophy, establishing the vocabulary and structure for thinking systematically about art, perception, and beauty. His work created the foundation that later thinkers would build on for centuries. He died 27 May 1762, leaving behind a field that hadn't existed before he named it.