True Beauty

Beauty: if one were to look up the term and read its definition, they would come to find its meaning to be extremely broad, vague, and truly unsatisfying overall. Regardless, mankind as a whole has shown Beauty to be a well sought after idea, characteristic and quality through many medians in society. From the slender, young lady modeling patented paints and powders by Cover Girl to other women who are curvaceous and perhaps of a certain age to the tanned, toned man donning the cover of the GQ magazines encouraging young men to make periodic visits to the gym; from the golden voices of great vocalists to the sweet, heartbreakingly wonderful melodies composed and played by soulful instrumentalists who have mastered their craft through many years of intense study; from Monet’s serene portrait of scenic pond and water lilies to the vivaciously yet piously painted ceiling of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel; we are shown that “Beauty” is anything but an ignored concept. However, one has to wonder: what is true beauty? Is it composed of simply one aspect or perhaps of a complex multitude? In his collection of thoughts, known as the Enneads, the philosopher Plotinus reveals through the sixth tractate entitled “Beauty” that there is more to this coveted concept than simply being fair of face. This essay will discuss true beauty or what Plotinus calls Divine Beauty by exploring the three forms that compose it: the material, the intellectual, and the moral.

First, Plotinus introduces the material form in the sense that if anything is to be considered physically beautiful or to possess even a trace of outward beauty, the object must be complete in its entirety. For example, Plotinus makes it known that within everything there is a specified rule of symmetry that every object or being must follow if its goal is to be aesthetically pleasing to the eyes of many. Plotinus claims that almost “everyone declares that the symmetry of parts towards each other and towards a whole, with, besides, a certain charm of colour, constitutes the beauty recognized by the eye, that in visible things, as indeed in all else, universally, the beautiful thing is essentially symmetrical, patterned” (Plotinus 39). The philosopher is in a sense communicating that if an object possesses both the rhyme and reason of a deliberate method of being purposefully created, it is beautiful because it has been wonderfully and flawlessly made.

In addition to this, Plotinus goes on to say that no singular part can be beautiful on its own because it does not follow the rule of outward aesthetic beauty. The philosopher indeed proclaims that only “a compound can be beautiful, never anything devoid of parts; and only a whole” and only then will the “several parts have beauty, not in themselves, but only as working together to give a comely total” (Plotinus 39). Overall, Plotinus claims that nothing can be beautiful on its own unless it is a compound of several parts. Alone a singular element is purposeless and contributes nothing to the sense of beauty, but each singular part is used to compose a whole being. It is made perfect and therefore made and seen as beautiful. Take into consideration bits and shards of colored glass; though each might have lovely color of reds, greens, yellows, and such they are still only imperfectly broken pieces of glass that serve no purpose. However, if one were to use these bits of seemingly useless colored glass to create a celestial image in the construction of a church stained glass window or a mosaic erected as tribute to a great event, then not only would the glass pieces be put to better use but would indeed become beautiful in the sense of creating something wholesome.

However, despite the fact that symmetry does in fact constitute a sense of wholeness and beauty, Plotinus makes it a point to emphasize that beauty can also be shown through certain abstractness in the physical form of objects. Plotinus attempts to communicate this idea through the following taken from the text of the Sixth Tractate of the Enneads:

“Again since the one face, constant in symmetry, appears sometimes fair and sometimes not, can we doubt that beauty is something more than symmetry, that symmetry itself owes its beauty to a remoter principle?

Turn to what is attractive in methods of life or in the expression of thought; are we to call in symmetry here? What symmetry is to be found in noble conduct, or excellent laws, in any form of mental pursuit?

What symmetry can there be in points of abstract thought?

The symmetry of being accordant with each other? But there may be accordance or entire identity where there is nothing but ugliness: the proposition that honesty is merely a generous artlessness chimes in the most perfect harmony with the proposition that morality means weakness of will; the accordance is complete” (Plotinus 40).

Through these words, the philosopher is clarifying that anything can be whole without having to be symmetrical in the classical sense; in fact he makes it a point that symmetry is irrelevant to the idea of beauty and that asymmetrical beauty is the most real. Plotinus points out that an object can be abstract in the sense that an imperfection physically might in fact be the greatest asset to an object’s overall charm and appeal and therefore contributes greatly to the fact that an object is perfect in all its imperfection simply because as it is combined with other parts, those several other sections might in fact portray an object’s beauty in the most honest possible way.

Next, Plotinus introduces the intellectual form of Beauty as one that affirms that of its material form. For example, Plotinus reveals that it is through the mind’s eye that one can even begin to perceive and truly understand the beauty within the form and shape of an object that comes into existence; in fact it is because of the mind that one even understands at all that everything has a distinct shape, pattern, and/or form to it, which in turn separates one object from another through divergent recognitions of their outward characteristics and qualities. Plotinus claims that there is a “Principle that bestows beauty on material things”, that it is “something that is perceived at the first glance, something which the soul names as from an ancient knowledge and, recognizing, welcomes it, enters into unison with it” (Plotinus 40). The philosopher then goes on to say that “the soul—by the very truth of its nature, by its affiliation to the noblest Existents in the hierarchy of Being—when it sees anything of that kin, or any trace of that kinship, thrills with an immediate delight, takes its own to itself, and thus stirs anew to the sense of its nature and of all its affinity”; however if one were to “let the soul fall in with the Ugly…[the soul] at once…shrinks within itself, denies the thing, turns away from it, not accordant, resenting it” (Plotinus 40). Through the various statements within the text, Plotinus unveils the mind or “soul” as fully capable of recognizing when an object possesses specific qualities that express true splendiferous traits that likens the object or being to itself and in turn is able to divulge what is justly beautiful from what is both fraudulent and completely falsified. One could almost compare this ability to that of God, who is omnipotent and sees all things. According to Biblical literature, God knows automatically who His “children” are and are not in regards to the fact that He looks past what is shown on the outside in regards to physical appeal, looking instead to the heart and whether it is truly holding an individual to His law and keeps it with great vigilance.

In addition, Plotinus goes on to explain that it is because of the intellectual form that the material form of Beauty, perhaps even Beauty itself entirely, exists merely because the intellectual form exists. This philosopher is revealed to claim this through the following excerpt taken straight from the text:

“We hold that all the loveliness of this world comes by communion in Ideal-Form.

“All shapelessness whose kind admits of pattern and form, as long as it remains outside of Reason and Idea, is ugly by that very isolation from the Divine-Thought. And this is the Absolute Ugly: an ugly thing is something that has not been entirely mastered by pattern, that is by Reason, the Matter not yielding at all points and in all respects to Ideal- Form.

But where the Ideal-Form has entered, it has grouped and coordinated what from a diversity of parts was to become a unity: it has rallied confusion into co-operation: it has made the sum one harmonious coherence: for the Idea is a unity and what it moulds must come to unity as far as multiplicity may.

And on what has thus been compacted to unity, Beauty enthrones itself, giving itself to the parts as to the sum: when it lights on some natural unity, a thing of like parts, then it gives itself up to that whole” (Plotinus 40-41).

Therefore, through this selection, the philosopher communicates that the intellectual form is the structure given otherwise to a chaotic, shapeless object or being. Where the material provides the aesthetically pleasing features, the intellectual form gives the very object itself shape, form, and a certain depth that goes beyond what is shown on the outside. One could compare this with the creation of a book: considering the outside, the binding is of fresh leather or painted wood product, the title has been etched in silver lettering, and there is a golden finish to the edges of the pages it contains. On the outside a book may look intriguing and may entice the individual to further explore it by opening it and glancing upon the contents; a tender-hearted yet tragic tale of star-crossed lovers is told and suddenly the reader is held captive. The binding may have drawn the reader, but the story itself has kept the reader coming back for more; this is how the material form and intellectual form work together.

Lastly, after Plotinus establishes the necessity of the intellectual form and presents the way it structures and adds depth to the material form of Beauty, the Philosopher then communicates how the soul is able to connect beauty to the almost complete combination of the two forms. Plotinus goes on to explain further what happens once the two forms are combined exactly:

“And the soul includes a faculty peculiarly addressed to Beauty—one incomparably sure in the appreciation of its own, never in doubt whenever any lovely thing presents itself for judgement.

Or perhaps the soul itself acts immediately, affirming the Beautiful where it finds something accordant with the Ideal-Form within itself, using this Idea as a canon of accuracy in its decision.

But what accordance is there between the material and that which antedates all Matter?

On what principle does the architect, when he finds the house standing before him correspondent with his inner ideal of a house, pronounce it beautiful? Is it not that the house before him, the stones apart, is the inner idea stamped upon the mass of exterior matter, the indivisible exhibited in diversity?

So with the perceptive faculty: discerning in certain objects the Ideal-Form which has bound and controlled shapeless matter, opposed in nature to Idea, seeing further stamped upon the common shapes some shape excellent above the common, it gathers into unity what still remains fragmentary, catches it up and carries it within, no longer a thing of parts, and presents it to the Ideal-Principle as something concordant and congenial, a natural friend: the joy here is like that of a good man who discerns in a youth the early signs of a virtue consonant with the achieved perfection within his own soul.

The beauty of colour is also the outcome of unification: it derives from shape, from the conquest of the darkness inherent in Matter by the pouring-in of light, the unembodied, which is a Rational-Principle and an Ideal-Form.

. Hence it is that Fire itself is splendid beyond all material bodies, holding the rank of Ideal-Principle to the other elements, making ever upwards, the subtlest and sprightliest of all bodies, as very near to the unembodied; itself alone admitting no other, all the colors are penetrated by it: for they take warmth but this is never cold; it has colour primally; they receive the Form of colour from it: hence the splendor of its light, the splendor that belongs to the Idea. And all that has resisted and is but uncertainly held by its light remains outside of beauty, as not having absorbed the plentitude of the Form of colour” (Plotinus 41).

Through this passage, Plotinus is able to convey that what happens when the two forms are joined is nothing short of incredible and indescribably brilliant: the birth of colour and light, which furthers the object’s closeness to becoming the epitome of Beauty and Beautiful.

Finally, Plotinus introduces and closes with the moral form, bringing the formation of Beauty to a full circle by presenting the moral form as the very breath that sustains it. The philosopher reveals this truth through the following passage:

“But there are earlier and loftier beauties than [images]…the soul, taking no help from the organs, sees and proclaims them. To the vision of these we must mount, leaving sense to its own low place.

As it is not for those to speak of the graceful forms of the material world who have never seen them or known their grace—men are born blind, let us suppose—in the same way those must be silent upon the beauty of noble conduct and of learning and all that order who have never cared for such things, nor many those tell of the splendor of virtue who have never known the face of Justice and of Moral-Wisdom beautiful beyond the beauty of Evening and dawn.

Such vision is for those only who see with the Soul’s sight—and at the vision, they will, rejoice, and awe will fall upon them and a trouble deeper than all the rest could ever stir, for now they are moving in the realm of Truth.

This is the spirit that Beauty must ever induce, wonderment and a delicious trouble, longing and love and a trembling that is all delight” (Plotinus 42).

Through this selection, the philosopher unveils that there exists something that goes beyond what one can perceive through the senses of the body; something that transcends physical confines and mental boundaries: love in its purest state. It is one of the most important aspects of the moral form of Beauty and something that can only be perceived by the very soul that sustains us all as human beings. After all is that not the greatest commandment of the Bible itself? It is the one singular force that drives everything and grants Beauty its very essence.

Plotinus however does not stop here; he further explains the moral form to be a certain goodness and virtuous purity that is indeed a vital component in Beauty and being Beautiful. The resulting paragraphs taken from the text provides the reader with such details of this enlightenment:

“But what is it that awakens all this passion? No shape, no colour, no grandeur of mass: all is for a Soul, something whose beauty rests upon no colour, for the moral wisdom the Soul enshrines and all the other hueless splendour of the virtues. It is that you find in yourself, or admire in another, loftiness of spirit; righteousness of life; disciplined purity; courage of the majestic face; gravity; modesty that goes fearless and tranquil and passionless; and, shining down upon all, the light of god-like Intellection” (Plotinus 42).

“Let us take the contrary, the ugliness of the Soul, and set that against its beauty…

Let us then suppose and ugly Soul, dissolute, unrighteous: teeming with all the lusts; torn by internal discord; beset by the fears of its cowardice and the envies of its pettiness; thinking in the little thought it has, only of the perish able and the base; perverse in all it’s the friend of unclean pleasures; living the life of abandonment to bodily sensation and delighting in its deformity…

A Soul becomes ugly—by something foisted upon it, by sinking itself into the alien, by a fall, a descent into body, into Matter. The dishonor of the Soul is in its ceasing to be clean and apart” (Plotinus 43).

In other words, Plotinus is saying that the moral form of Beauty is such that keeps and maintains the soul or essence of an object or being from becoming corrupted. The moral form is found as a vital part of Beauty simply because it sets the object or being apart from all else, making it exceptional in the eyes of many by simply making a manifest. In this form, an object or being is given more than the ability to be aesthetically pleasing or the dignity of being well-made. It is given the ability to uphold the cherished wishes and beliefs of their creator; a specified knowledge that they were created not simply to be admired for their physical beauty or even for harmonious proportion, but to give a testament that they were created out of love and being created from love ultimately means holding tight to all that pertains to it: virtue and integrity.

In conclusion, Beauty is revealed to possess more dimensions to it than simple ornamentation, physical attractiveness, or flawless proportion. Although the philosopher Plotinus does reveal that the material form of Beauty is important to an extent, he unveils the truth that the concept of Beauty does in fact run much deeper than simple ornate value. Plotinus divulges the existence of two other necessary forms that unveils a depth, understanding, and purity that can only characterize the Divine Beauty that constitutes everything ever brought into creation. He presents the intellectual facet of Beauty as an object possessing the means for an object to be harmoniously structured, proportioned, and diverse; while the moral facet of Beauty is revealed as a way an object or being remains pure, set apart, and overall good in the virtuous sense. Through his discussion of the material, intellectual, and moral components that make Beauty just that, Plotinus in turn shows that Beauty is more than just a pretty face or a perfectly sculpted form. Beauty, True Beauty in the sense of the Divine, is purity of heart, mind, and soul and a wisdom that betters an object or being by bringing them closer to God, the one who set the very world in motion.