Beauty: A Very Short Introduction

Beauty: A Very Short Introduction

by Roger Scruton
Beauty: A Very Short Introduction

Beauty: A Very Short Introduction

by Roger Scruton

Paperback

$12.99 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

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. In this Very Short Introduction, 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 judgments of beauty when it is evident all around us that our tastes vary so widely. Is there a right judgment 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 an Andy Warhol Campbell Soup Can? 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

ISBN-13: 9780199229758
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication date: 04/08/2011
Series: Very Short Introductions
Pages: 208
Sales rank: 218,345
Product dimensions: 4.40(w) x 6.80(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Roger Scruton was Research Professor at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, in Arlington, Virginia.

Table of Contents

Preface
1. Judging beauty
2. Human beauty
3. Natural beauty
4. Everyday beauty
5. Artistic beauty
6. Taste and order
7. Art and Eros
8. The flight from beauty
9. Concluding thoughts
Notes and Further Reading
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews