SIR Roger Scruton discussed why beauty matters in a one-hour film by that name which he wrote and presented in 2009, directed by Louise Lockwood.
He explained the importance and transcendental nature of beauty, the impact of beauty upon our being, the sacredness of beauty and how it trumps utility. He also cast his critical eye upon modern ‘art’ and its destructive influence upon us all.
It is a depressing watch at times, especially the modern attack upon objective beauty, not least when modern art meets architecture. Also difficult to watch is the the assault that has taken place upon our living space, such as the replacement of classic Victorian houses by brutalist tower blocks. Nonetheless it is of the utmost importance to understand – as he explains – that it’s centralised planners that have done much of this damage to our environment.
Why we all should take time to consider beauty and to retain the beautiful in our lives Sir Roger explains further here in this lecture on The True, the Good and the Beautiful that he gave to the Wheatley Institution two years ago
The full text of the lecture is here.
