Love in the Eyes of the Beautiful and Sublime
“Do not seek the because — in love there is no because, no reason, no explanation, no solutions.” — Anaïs Nin
To understand a person, one should understand how they love; the same could be applied to the Beautiful and the Sublime. Love is an deep emotion expressed by the heart without reason or explanation. This is an expression valued in the Romantic Era, a time where sensations were valued over reason. The Beautiful and the Sublime being byproducts of Romanticism might be best understood through their application of a Romantic value: love.
Love is both beautiful and sublime. The lighthearted and intimate moments are beautiful but tender and kind aspects are sublime. There is a deep connection in the sublime remnant of friendship verses the casual and superficial connection of beauty. To be blind as a result of love is beautiful and charming compared to the understanding and acceptance of the sublime. The flighty and advertised versions of love are beautiful, but the noble and enduring aspects are sublime. When love is genuine and honest it becomes both noble and sublime compared to the delicate flattery that comes of the beautiful. The visible refinement is beautiful while the passion is sublime. In love the sublime becomes a source of virtue while the beautiful can only be adorned by virtue.
Resources:
Kant, Immanuel, Patrick R. Frierson, and Paul Guyer. Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime and Other Writings. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2012. Print.
