Product Description

Beauty can be consoling, disturbing, sacred, profane; it can be exhilarating, appealing, inspiring, chilling. It can affect us in an unlimited variety of ways. Yet it is never viewed with indifference. Here, the renowned philosopher Roger Scruton explores the concept of beauty, asking what makes an object - either in art, in nature, or the human form - beautiful, and examining how we can compare differing judgements of beauty when it is evident all around us that our tastes vary so widely. Is there a right judgement to be made about beauty? Is it right to say there is more beauty in a classical temple than a concrete office block, more in a Rembrandt than in last year's Turner Prize winner? Forthright and thought-provoking, and as accessible as it is intellectually rigorous, this introduction to the philosophy of beauty draws conclusions that some may find controversial, but, as Scruton shows, help us to find greater sense of meaning in the beautiful objects that fill our lives.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3048 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 176 pages

Review
Roger Scruton has moments of great insight and clarity in this attractively slim volume. (Sebastian Smee, The Observer )

A fascinating book, which I heartily recommend. (Bryan Wilson, Readers Digest )

Short, fast paced, and wide ranging. (Michael Tanner, Literary Review )