The Lure of Beauty

THE THOMIST A SPECULATIVE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY EnnroRs: THE DoMINICAN FATHERS OF THE PRoviNCE oF ST. JosEPH Publishers: Sheed and Ward, Inc., New York City VoL. VIII APRIL, 1945 THE LURE OF BEAUTY ROM THE fifteenth century to the present day the western world has been drifting with more or less gay abandon from the solid moorings of truth and goodness. This vagrancy has been marked by two trends: an abandonment of scientific philosophy and theology in favor of the elevating experiences of esthetics, and a departure from classic Christianity under the guise of pursuing culture. The moderns give full expression to this now ancient vagabondage as they chant of the dawn of a new era of culture and revel in rhapsodies on art and beauty. Now, the allurements of beauty are very old. But they become extravagant when man despises true wisdom and departs from moral goodness. The temptations of esthetics are many. The mind of man has a desire to penetrate the material world about him. In a limited way the esthetic experience satisfies this desire, but at the same time it feeds the false hope that man can exceed his intellectual perfection, which here below consists in universal truths, and rival the divine and angelic in149 150 JOHN FEARON tellects in their total exploitation of the concrete individual. In the face of a reluctance on the part of the material world to expose its inner self to the human mind man artfully contrives to give matter an intelligibility not its own in an attempt to elucidate the beauty of his world. Loving the child of his own mind fosters in man the temptation to rest in his image and exult in his own self-expression. In a way this flatters the same presumption that toppled Adam-that man can be the principle of his own perfection. And just as there is a possibility of confusing the merits of esthetic and philosophic knowledge, there is the possibility of confusing the beautiful and the good. Succumbing to this temptation leads to the modem cult of culture. Disregard for truth and goodness makes the modern an easy target for the wily one who capitalizes on any and all temptations . But sound doctrine can reduce the potentiality of these temptations and rob beauty of its deceptive lure. The fundamental ideas of St. Thomas on beauty are the surest road to a realization of the distinctions and limitations which belong to esthetics. St. Thomas lived in a beautiful age, sometimes called the greatest of centuries. True, his observations on the beautiful are scattered through his works in terse phrases pregnant with meaning. He merely pauses to give a definition, to indicate beauty's relationship to the good or to assign its place in the Trinity. But this process is natural to the rapid pace at which a theological synthesis must travel. Furthermore, it is well to bear in mind that Divine Providence had definite designs upon the genius of the friar from Rocca Sicca. In doctrinal matters St. Thomas had one intent and purpose: to establish theology as a strict science, the most perfect of sciences. IDtimately this involved the production of a " summa " of Sacred Doctrine for beginners. The magnificence of this work has been recognized through the centuries, sometimes even with the silent encomium of resting on the shelves reserved for research and reference. Eric Gill once said " look after goodness and truth, and beauty will take care of herself.'' 1 The Angelic Doctor took care of truth. 1 Eric Gill, Beauty Looks After Herself, Sheed & Ward, N. Y. 1933, p. !M5. THE LURE OF BEAUTY 151 Pope John XXII gave Thomas Aquinas the title of Saint. Pope Pius XI gave St. Thomas Aquinas the title of Universal Doctor. This paper is not undertaken in the pontifical spirit which would add the tile of Esthete to those of Saint and Doctor. But perhaps it may help to lead the moderns back to truth and goodness. Then" beauty will take care of herself." I In attempting to piece together the scattered fragments of St. Thomas' esthetics into an integrated whole, harmonious with the rest of his synthesis, the usual...