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Showing posts from May, 2016

Just Another Pretty Face? The Problem of Human Beauty

When an infatuated young man gazes at a young lady, what is he admiring? What should he admire? How does sexual consummation relate to one’s desire for another? Such questions demand answers, for while it is human nature to experience desire for another person, misconceptions about the nature of desire may lead some to experience or express desire in ways unconstructive or destructive to their actualization as a human. A misconception cannot be corrected until it is recognized; thus, this essay examines some of the philosophical issues that arise from interpersonal desire. What is the nature of desire? Roger Scruton, a philosopher who has written extensively about aesthetics, considers desire to be a manifestation of humanity’s attraction to Beauty. Along with many other philosophers, Scruton considers Beauty a transcendental, like Truth and Goodness (p. 2), and is thus considered intrinsically desirable. In resonance with Plato and Kant, Scruton states a rational person is one w