Unikum mars 2018

Aesthetics
Text: Pål Øymoen
Illustration: Silje Førtoft
Is beauty important? To begin, I believe it is of high
importance to define beauty. Beauty is not lotions, lipstick,
or other beauty products. Beauty is not skinny
cheeks and a slim waist, nor a muscular torso and
clever smile. That is a more self-centred and narcissistic
form beauty and “the beautiful” have taken in
modern western culture. Here, we will be speaking of
beauty which makes your mind start to wonder. Beauty
which is itself a source of inspiration. Aesthetics such
as nebulas, architecture, waterfalls, dance. Both alive
and dead, but never dull.
Of course, beauty can be a person. However, that is
not what beauty aims to be, as we have made it seem.
We have a bias, usually rather strong, when it comes
to what “the beautiful”, or even “the most beautiful”
ought to be. Here, no such ranking or bias will be applied.
This is not a ranking of aesthetic things; it is an
examination of beauty itself, its qualities, and its meaning.
Beauty is difficulty made simple. It is relaxation under
tension. Beauty has an impact on the mind. It can both
relax and invigorate the mind with anything from the
numinous and the elementary. These are all just examples:
What can we say about aesthetics? Is beauty
important?
Some may consider the beautiful to be only extra unnecessary
work. A sort of mask, a layer, meant to make
something seem more pleasing to the eye than it really
is. One could save time and effort if one just convinced
people that beauty is not important. This way of thinking
is about as shallow as it claims beauty to be. Beauty
is not a mask. It is not a body kit on a car, but the way
the car is seamlessly built like it evolved by itself, being
rigid and durable, and yet comfortable and quiet.
When a formal, well constructed logical argument is
presented which takes premises that could be considered
common and indisputable knowledge and concludes
something utterly fascinating, such that denying
it would be mindless, the argument is not just beautiful;
it is stunning. This is how far beauty stretches. It is
a sense of discovery of the truth. It seamlessly harmonizes
with reality. Or at the very least, appears to do so.
Aesthetics and beauty are important because of this. It
gives us a sense of what more easily corresponds with
nature, with reality. And that which fits without struggle,
is either easy or beautiful.
KOMMENTAR
mars 2018 unikum nr 3 17