Ep. 75 Engaging with Beauty: The Philosophy of Beauty, Part 1

Beauty and aesthetics seems to be one of the least discussed branches of philosophy, yet occupied the minds of some of the greatest philosophers such as: Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Hume, just to name a few. Its appeal is immediately obvious, however, when someone asks the seemingly simple question of exactly what beauty is. The conversation that typically follows involves topics such as: what exactly are standards of beauty, if these standards are objective or entirely in the eye of the beholder, and under what circumstances do we or do we not encounter beauty. Some say beauty is rare; others that it is around us all the time if we would just look; that the outward self is just a grotesque veneer; that true beauty resides within. I mean, is the song that’s playing in the background right now beautiful? The last time your and your friends got together and played Mario Party? The weekend morning that just involves a cup of coffee, a book, and a cat purring in your lap ‘cause it loves you? Whatever the perspective, it seems beauty is something that matters to us, whether we find it in a sunset, a soaring aria, or in the eyes of our loved ones. Join us as we explore the practical side of beauty in this first of a two part series on the subject.

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