Must Beautiful Things be Natural? – Prof. Raymond Hain

Oct 8, 2025

Prof. Raymond Hain, an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Providence College, dives deep into the intriguing question of whether beauty must be natural. He explores Thomistic metaphysics, comparing the views of Maritain and Gilson on artistic creativity. Hain discusses beauty's connection to form and proportion, using contemporary examples from architecture and literature. He also highlights Tolkien’s tale, revealing the complex relationship between beauty, enchantment, and natural obligations. The discussion intertwines philosophy with practical implications for understanding art and beauty.

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INSIGHT

Beauty As Form And Cognition

Aquinas links beauty to form and cognition, claiming beauty pleases when seen and consists in due proportion.
Thus beauty is tied to a thing's existence and formal perfection rather than merely sensory decoration.

INSIGHT

Existence Increases Beauty

Hain argues things are more beautiful the more they realize their nature and existence fully.
Therefore naturalness (fulfilling one's form) correlates with greater beauty and goodness.

INSIGHT

Three Conditions Of Beauty

Aquinas lists three conditions of beauty: integrity, proportion, and clarity.
Beautiful things integrate parts, harmonize relations, and radiate clarity or brightness.

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Prof. Raymond Hain examines whether beauty must be natural, exploring Thomistic metaphysics, twentieth-century debates between Maritain and Gilson, and contemporary examples from architecture and literature to probe the relationship between nature, artifice, and the beautiful.

This lecture was given on May 31st, 2025, at Mount Saint Mary College.

Will you hand on the Faith to those who need it the most? Give by October 31st to film the next season of Aquinas 101! https://aquinas101.thomisticinstitute.org/oct25podcast

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About the Speakers:

Raymond Hain is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Associate Director of the Humanities Program at Providence College in Providence, RI. Educated at Christendom College, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Oxford, he is the founder of the PC Humanities Forum and Humanities Reading Seminars and is responsible for the strategic development of the Humanities Program into a vibrant, world class center of teaching, research, and cultural life dedicated to the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. His scholarly interests include the history of ethics (especially St. Thomas Aquinas), applied ethics (especially medical ethics and the ethics of architecture), Alexis de Tocqueville, and philosophy and literature (especially Catholic aesthetics). His work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Templeton Foundation, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, and the Charles Koch Foundation. His essays have appeared in various journals and collections including The Thomist, International Journal of Applied Philosophy, and The Anthem Companion to Tocqueville. He is the editor of Beyond the Self: Virtue Ethics and the Problem of Culture and is currently working on a monograph titled The Lover and the Prophet: An Essay in Catholic Aesthetics. He joined Providence College in 2011 and lives just across the street with his wife Dominique and their five children.

Keywords: Aesthetics, Art and Imitation, Christopher Alexander, Clarity And Proportion, Creative Intuition, Etienne Gilson, Integration and Wholeness, Jacques Maritain, Smith of Wootton Major, Thomistic Metaphysics