Roger Scruton Why Beauty Matters Summary

In his documentary film “why beauty matters” English philosopher Roger Scruton introduces the idea of beauty is disappearing from our world. The philosopher implies, that Art has become ugly, as well as our physical surroundings, manners, language, and music. Nowadays, the main aim of art is to disturb and break moral taboos. It has now lost its initial duty and is used to show solely the ugliness of our world, instead of taking what is most painful in the human condition and redeeming it in the work of beauty. What according to Scruton is the main purpose of art.

The narrator claims, that beauty is essential to give us a purpose of life. It has the ability to transform our surroundings, and get us to a higher spiritual level. He explores

The philosopher talks about how we look at the dead body or someone we love. Like they aren 't supposed to be a part of this world, the same goes with beauty, beauty is a visitor from another world. The world of higher spiritual being. It is not to be used or exploited but to be observed and contemplated. Art shouldn’t be be used to satisfy our appetites. the appetites of the consumer society that we have built. The society which has no use for beauty because it isn’t useful, this change affect our whole culture diminishing beauty from it forever. Our surroundings have become ugly because the only thing considered while building is personal gin and usefulness of the construction, there is no longer place for large golden fountains, curvy ornaments and mesmerizing green gardens. Instead we have grafiti and poster covered walls made by people trying to make some profit “vote for me” the poster says. Me, my campaign, my profit, that 's all there 's left. Phrases like “this world is a mess” “we’ll all die in the end” dominate the walls in the streets we’ve come to know so well. The question is wheres beauty? Scruton has one answer for this lost and destroyed by our society always tempted by appetite and the thirst for personal gain. There is no longer any place for something sacred or spiritual. However, based on the narrators arguments those aren’t the only reasons for the loss of beauty. The documentary demonstrates that