Pursuing Beauty: An Argument for Aesthetics
How Beauty Leads to Our Ultimate Fulfillment
THE BEAUTIFUL, THE BELOVED
Among the branches of philosophy, Aesthetics is my favorite. I was always fascinated by how we like or dislike something, so I wanted to understand if what we’re drawn to is simply a matter of taste and preference.
To be frank, it’s difficult to describe why something is beautiful because aesthetic experiences are felt rather than rationalized.
THE CASE FOR BEAUTY
Beauty can be defined as something which delights. That which we’re drawn to, or that which uplifts us. For most philosophers, beauty has two facets, Order and Surprise.
Order pertains to patterns — the system and coherence of a thing.
While surprise refers to splendor — the feeling of wonder when something beautiful is beheld.
Beauty can be applied to several things. But in this article, I will focus on the beauty of nature and the human person.
