Philosophical Writings

Author(s): Hemant Shah
Publisher: Academy of Philosophy

Page 85

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appearance, for it is reality that he has laid hold of and not dream? And since he brings forth true goodness, and cherishes it, he shall be dear to the Gods, and even become immortal, if any man can..."
Philosophical Writings
In Indian Philosophy, Abhinavagupta described beauty as "the delight which is born with the cessation of thirtst." J. Krishnamurti says "There is a beauty which offers no stimulation....... one comes upon that beauty not by desiring, wanting, longing for experience, but only when all desires for experience has come to an end.""
Having seen what some thinkers have expressed about beauty and the experience of beauty, we elearly see that "most of the definitions are physical (bneauty is a unity of formal relations among our sense peresption)" But we have always observed that "man's love for Beauty is inherent in his nature and is ineradicable, like his craving for food and sex. His economic needs are primarily utilitarian, even his sexual urge is biological device for race-perpatuation."" 2.2. The terms:
The term Beauty "is loaded with cannotations". In everyday experience our perception of beauty leads to pleasure. Beauty means something that pleases through senses. The Beauty (Sundaram) in Indian Philosophy is Supreme Reality or Perfect Being. It is one of the three attributes, Truth and Goodness are the other two, of God.
The terms beauty also means attractive, proportionate, orderly, rhythemic etc.
The term beauty, in fact is highly ambiguous in its use. This is "because of three reasons: (1) Beauty is a matter of taste and openion, and men disagree on what is beautiful and what is not
(2) Beauty as an experience throws little light on beauty as a concept........ and (3) Beauty applies to a vast field of aesthetic experience including the beauty of nature and the beauty of art,"" 2.3. Types of Beauty :
The classical understanding regarding the types or kinds of beauty is Beauty of Nature and Beauty of Art. Both have common