Academy of Ideas Why the Lack of Beauty is Destroying Society
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Aug 14, 2025 The discussion opens with a stark analysis of beauty's decline in modern culture and its negative effects on well-being. The speakers contrast today's uninspired designs with past aesthetic achievements, suggesting a loss of moral character. They explore society's shift towards shock value over genuine beauty, particularly in architecture. Finally, historical examples demonstrate how beauty can inspire virtue and morality, emphasizing the urgent need for a revival of beauty to heal our society.
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Beauty As An Ultimate Value
- Beauty is an ultimate value comparable to truth and goodness that we pursue for its own sake.
- Without beauty we become mentally and spiritually impoverished and less fulfilled as people.
Beauty Awakens Noble Passions
- Beauty activates noble passions and produces deep feeling that truth or goodness alone may not evoke.
- These passions lift us out of mundanity and motivate a longing to become more virtuous and worthy.
Beauty Demands Moral Transformation
- The experience of beauty places moral demands on us by revealing our flaws through contrast.
- Confronted with beauty we feel called to change ourselves and reshape our character into something finer.
