There are many varieties of positive and negative effects of criticism. This article describes common types that occur regularly in everyday life. For other criteria that classify criticisms, see . For more subject-specific information, see the pages on topics such as art, film, literature, theatre, or architecture.
Aesthetic criticism
Aesthetic criticism is a part of aesthetics concerned with critically judging beauty and ugliness, tastefulness and tastelessness, style and fashion, meaning and quality of design—and issues of human sentiment and affect (the evoking of pleasure and pain, likes and dislikes). Most parts of human life have an aesthetic dimension, which means there is plenty potential for criticism. Often architecture criticism is considered the highest form of aesthetic criticism, because architecture combines art, science and technology to build a pleasing home environment, a "living space" that people must inhabit everyday, more or less permanently.
An aesthetic critic however does not simply say "it's beautiful" or "it's ugly." Instead, the aim is to explain the meaning of a work of art, why something is beautiful or ugly, or how the meaning of a design should be interpreted, the stronger and weaker sides of a cultural object, etc. For this purpose, aesthetic critics have a toolkit of criteria they can use in their commentary. These criteria include such things as: The motive behind creative activity Total context within which creative activity occurred Techniques or physical forces used to create the aesthetic effect Values, sentiments, interests, needs or ideals that a phenomenon communicates Relationship of an object of criticism to associated objects, themes, traditions, or genres Interaction between observer and observed, and the overall effect Function the object of the criticism fulfills
Using these kinds of criteria, which usually assume extensive relevant knowledge, aesthetic critics can inform their audience about the achievements and limitations of the object of aesthetic criticism. In this way, they can draw attention to aesthetic issues most people might have overlooked, educate people in their aesthetic appreciation, and stimulate debate about what kinds of aesthetic expressions are preferable.
In part, aesthetic criticism can genuinely prove aesthetic propositions;– if they concern matters of factual or logical evidence. For example, either an artist had a certain motivation, or s/he did not. But insofar as "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", there is always also a subjective element in aesthetic criticism, which is not provable, but expresses a preference, a personal taste. It may be possible to explain that preference, but it may not be possible to compare it meaningfully with other preferences.
Logical criticism
In a logical criticism, an objection is raised about an idea, argument, action or situation on the ground that it does not make rational sense (there is something wrong with it because it is illogical, it does not follow, or it violates basic conventions of meaning. Such an objection usually refers to assumptions, coherence, implications, and intent. Thus, the illogicality may involve something that: Is being assumed or inferred improperly, without reasonable ground Is internally inconsistent or self-contradictory in a way that makes it impossible to maintain all its content at once (because it would affirm and negate the same thing) Has implications or effects that are contrary to itself, or negate itself Has effects contrary to its own purpose or intent, or contrary to the purpose or intent of someone concerned with it involves a language that superficially makes sense, but defies logic when examined closely
Logical criticism is rooted in the basic cognitive principles that guide the behavior of humans and other sentient organisms: stimulus identification ("this is the recognized identity of X"), stimulus distinction ("this is different from that"), and stimulus generalization ("this is the same, or like that" or "this is an instance of type X"). The Greek philosopher Aristotle stated the most basic building blocks of logic as the law of identity, the law of non-contradiction and the law of the excluded middle. These are basic conditions for making meaningful sense, and for non-arbitrary representation.