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Plato
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Aesthetics
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Kerry Keith Murdock
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I believe that Plato’s
intentions are to break-up the different aspects of the term ‘beauty’ as a way
of defining what is beautiful and what is not.
He breaks it up into the following aspects: Self-predication,
form, Independence from particulars, perfection, beauty, permanence, and
simplicity.
It seems to me that his attempt is to define the
different aspects of beauty by breaking them up different nouns. That way, he
has a more hands-on equation of defining what is beautiful and what is not. He
does not take into account the various individuals, their upbringing,
background, or experiences. I believe his equation is intended to be so
well-defined that it encompasses all aspects of life.
However, the word ‘beauty’ is categorized as a
descriptive term, as opposed to a noun. I believe what he is trying to do would
be like trying to define the color ‘red’ without an appropriate basis.
The question remains as to whether or not ‘beauty’ can be
broken up, whether into a group of nouns or a different set of descriptive
adjectives. I believe the concept of ‘beauty’ falls into the same category of
‘truth.’ There is one truth, whether or not we want to believe it. The world is
round, despite what we believe. It is up to us as to whether or not we choose
to accept truth. I believe that real, actual truth comes from the same source;
our Creator. It is this same Being who created beauty, as well. This same Being
also created each one of us.
It is my belief that as we enter into this world we are
given a balance of energy that starts out pure. We all enter this world with a
clean slate. Based on our experiences, choices, or decisions this balance of
energy may skew off to one direction or another. As this direction skews or
changes, so does our vision or perception of the world and therefore what is
beautiful. I don’t think too many adults still get excited at the sight of a
babe’s fluffy bunny or child’s mobile, even though they laughed at those things
when young. If a person’s views of normality include violence, drugs, and/or
psychological abuse then their views of beauty would vary radically from a
person whose life includes a happy family, healthy food, and secure life.
However, whether or not our views are skewed, the truth
of actual beauty still remains. I believe mountain ranges, flowers, and visions
of nature fall into the category of beauty whether or not we can accept it as
such. That is what they were created for. I believe that garbage, polluted
rivers, or discarded liter does not fall into the category of beauty.
It’s
just up to us as to whether or not we are going to accept it.
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