Friday, March 23, 2007
Kant Quote
Immanuel Kant, writing in 1790, observes of a man that "If he says that canary wine is agreeable he is quite content if someone else corrects his terms and reminds him to say instead: It is agreeable to me," because "Everyone has his own taste(of sense)". The case of "beauty" is different from mere "agreeableness" because, "If he proclaims something to be beautiful, then he requires the same liking from others; he then judges not just for himself but for everyone, and speaks of beauty as if it were a property of things." from Wikipedia entry on aesthetics
There are a ton of books, magazines and websites on how to be more beautiful – but none that I’ve seen really explore the concept of beauty and why it is so powerful. In my opinion, most of what is out there is telling us how to make ourselves, our homes, our families and even our lives more “attractive” but not necessarily more beautiful. To me, this is an important distinction and one I hope to better explain in the course of this project.
The project I am planning will seek to help reconnect people with an authentic appreciation for beauty, which I believe is rapidly being replaced by an obsession with attractiveness. That which is truly beautiful can inspire awe, appreciation and respect whereas that which is merely “attractive” more usually generates fear, envy and self-loathing.
In my mind this obsession accounts for much of what I believe is going wrong in the world – driving people to make choices that are in conflict with their values, forgoing circumspect values-based decision making in order to “look good,” whether it be going into debt to buy a new Humvee or undergoing potentially harmful surgery to remove excess body fat.
The project I am planning will seek to help reconnect people with an authentic appreciation for beauty, which I believe is rapidly being replaced by an obsession with attractiveness. That which is truly beautiful can inspire awe, appreciation and respect whereas that which is merely “attractive” more usually generates fear, envy and self-loathing.
In my mind this obsession accounts for much of what I believe is going wrong in the world – driving people to make choices that are in conflict with their values, forgoing circumspect values-based decision making in order to “look good,” whether it be going into debt to buy a new Humvee or undergoing potentially harmful surgery to remove excess body fat.
Pondering
I believe that authentic admiration for beauty is being replaced by an obsession with attractiveness.
That which is truly beautiful can inspire awe, appreciation and respect where as the desire to attract or be attractive more usually generates fear, envy and self-loathing.
This is not a call for the idolatry of beauty or worship of the charismatic properties of beautiful places and things, it is a reminder that our innate sense of beauty is something to be nurtured because it is a powerful guide to understanding what is right and just.
That which is truly beautiful can inspire awe, appreciation and respect where as the desire to attract or be attractive more usually generates fear, envy and self-loathing.
This is not a call for the idolatry of beauty or worship of the charismatic properties of beautiful places and things, it is a reminder that our innate sense of beauty is something to be nurtured because it is a powerful guide to understanding what is right and just.
Questions
1.How do you think you developed your own ideas about what is beautiful? What were the people, experiences or places that formed your notions of beauty?
2.At what time or times in your life have you felt the most beautiful?
3.What does “beauty” mean to you? How would you describe the feeling or sensation of being around something beautiful?
4.Where is the most beautiful place that you have ever been? What made it so?
5.What role do beauty and aesthetics play in your life? For example, do you seek beauty in nature; do you visit art museums or galleries; do you enjoy decorating or arranging your home; are you
2.At what time or times in your life have you felt the most beautiful?
3.What does “beauty” mean to you? How would you describe the feeling or sensation of being around something beautiful?
4.Where is the most beautiful place that you have ever been? What made it so?
5.What role do beauty and aesthetics play in your life? For example, do you seek beauty in nature; do you visit art museums or galleries; do you enjoy decorating or arranging your home; are you
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