title: [The « techno-aesthetics » of smithian economy the value and function of objects in 18(th) Century England].
abstract: From The Theory of Moral Sentiments to his essay on The Nature of that Imitation Which Takes Place in What Are Called the Imitative Arts, Adam Smith offered a vision of aesthetics combining beauty and utility. An echo of exchange value as the "ability to buy other goods" - the "power" to organize and achieve one's goals - his definition of beauty was premised on the "aptness" of things, that is, the fact that they were also useful. Sustained by the commodification of products, a kind of "techno-aesthetics" thus emerged in England in the 18(th) century, one that implied designing, adapting, reducing and showcasing the means of production.
authors.affiliation: ICT, Université Paris 7, 5, rue Thomas, Mann, F-75013, Paris, France, liliane.perez@wanadoo.fr.
authors.forename: Liliane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hilaire-Pérez