Page 17 - issue-25 - en

ELITE Vol.1 No.25, Nov. 2020

Why is the beautiful beautiful?

Dina Ibrahim Hassan

FEPS Assistant Lecturer of Political Science

Some philosophers argue that beauty is harmony, whil e others see
"If our instincts were not corrupted by toiletries, and were not
that the secret of beauty is to achieve good, as Pl ato believes that
deviated by money, then the sense of beauty in us wo uld have
art should be a part of morality, while Aristotle b elieves that
remained biologically intact and beauty would retur n as nature
beauty is what achieves symmetry and organic unity of parts in a
wanted it to be, so that it became the flower of he alth, and it would
coherent whole, But the question remains, why are s ymmetry and
work again for the good of humanity not for weakeni ng it, and here
unity the reason for the joy of the soul? Does beau ty remain like
good meets beauty, and we reach the conclusion of P lato that “the
this a matter of form and image?!
principle of goodness returns to the law of beauty. ” Plato is hesitated
Other trends appear to try to answer this question, including what
in this matter and did not know exactly to whom he kneeled, for the
Kant and Schopenhauer went to, where they see that b eauty is
strong wisdom of Athena or the bright navigation of Aphrodite?!
what brings pleasure in soul regardless of the bene fit it achieves,
Perhaps he was right in his hesitation, because beaut y, as we have
but it pushes you to meditate involuntarily and sen ds you pure
seen, is difficult to make it a pillar of the state . And what is the use of
happiness and that is the reason behind the apprecia tion of beauty
wisdom if it does not make us love the beautiful an d create new
and artistic vitality. But why aren't things beautifu l for doing their
beauty that is more wonderful than what nature offe rs? Wisdom is a
functions? Whatever proves its harm becomes an ugly piece -
means, and beauty in the body and soul is an end, a nd art without
according to what Nietzsche says - and every useful thing is
science is poverty, but science of science without art is barbaric.
beautiful, loved and palatable by time, and everythi ng acquires
Rather, divine philosophy is a means unless we expa nd its horizons to
beauty when it stirs in us feelings and sends us st rength as does
include the rest harmonious tasks of life, their in struments and their
the feeling of light, order and gentle touch, unlik e what ugliness
value. If philosophy is not motivated by the navigat ion of beauty, it is
does in us as it reduces our vitality leading us to disturbance of
not worthy. Nothing has been removed from Egypt exce pt for the
nerves and digestion, and to conflict and quarrel.
tremendous greatness that it raised from the sand, a nd in everything
And if the motives for feeling beautiful and the se crets of what
with the Greeks but its wisdom and art remained. Th e live beauty is
makes the beautiful beautiful differ between achiev ing good and
the greatest kind of beauty. But it fades with age and spoils with
feeling pleasure, or performing the function. then is there an
time. Only the artist can put his hand on the fleeti ng image and print
objective obstacle for a person to experience the m eaning of
it in a template that conquers annihilation. "
beauty? Do well-being and the economic level of ind ividuals
With these words, Will Durant concludes one of his book chapters on
interfere with their appreciation of the meaning of beauty and
aesthetics to present his subjective vision of philo sophy as a holistic
their taste of arts? Some trends see that art does n ot appear in a
view and a mind that simplifies life and turns diso rder into unity and
nation until the accumulation of wealth surplus its economic
an integrated view of life. Perhaps what stopped me in what he puts
need, and the same applies to the individual when hun ger does
about the meaning of philosophy and the science of aesthetics is our
not concern his mind or is not severe, then the sens e of beauty
urgent need to re-raise this question now as our co ncepts of beauty -
overflows.
with their differences - are subject to blatant reje ction and
Can we think about the concept of beauty again and e valuate the
exclamation, and the question of changing the conce pts of the
degree of beauty we reach and taste differently? Can we judge
majority of us about beauty? And about the secrets of beauty? Its
according to this to what degree we are harmed by th e ugliness
criteria? Will we still never know why the beautiful is beautiful, or is
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around us according to the concept of beauty that e ach of us
it possible to be convinced by the philosophical atte mpts to answer
adopts?!
this question?