Love
and Beauty
From
the pastel colors of a glistening rainbow to the pudgy, dimpled smile of a
toddler, the world is full of physical beauty. While there are individual
tastes, shaped by culture, upbringing, or education, man as a whole seems recognize
this beauty by some unspoken, universal standard which draws forth a certain
level of admiration and attraction. Along with physical beauty there is also
interior beauty, which can be more difficult to see, but which further
illuminates physical beauty. The Neo-Platonist philosopher, Plotinus, wrote of
both as reflections of the Creator that touch and purify the human soul,
helping it to become more beautiful in its recognition of beauty. This process,
in which man is first attracted by beauty, then transformed by it until he
himself is beautiful, directly correlates with a human relationship and the
development of true love, and is further a reflection of and connection to the
love emanating from the Divine, who Plotinus says is pure Love itself. Thus, by
understanding Plotinus’s concept of beauty, one finds that love and its true
meaning originate in attraction to beauty and the purification of the soul
through further exposure to it.
What is Beauty?
Beauty
has been defined in various ways by many through the centuries but it can essentially
be broken down into two categories: external and internal. The first is seen in
the human body and the rest of physical creation, while the second, more
difficult to pinpoint, lies in the spiritual, often referring to a person’s
disposition, heart, or soul. While exterior beauty, aside from various
differences of personal opinion, is widely accepted, internal beauty holds a
far less prominent value in society. For example, when a rosebud blooms on a
bush, many find it aesthetically pleasing, but when an old woman with a shrill
voice sings loudly in church, most fail to view this as attractive. The beauty
of the latter instance lies in the meaning rather than the appearance. It
cannot be physically encountered, but rather can only be “seen” through the
knowledge that the woman is pouring out love into a song for the savior she
worships. This expression is internally beautiful because it characterizes the
woman’s spiritual existence, just as when one does an act of kindness it can be
considered beautiful because it represents the kindness within one’s soul. The
difference between internal and external beauty, therefore, lies in the perceptive ability
of the viewer.
Among the many theories of beauty, one that values internal beauty far above external, is that of the Greek
philosopher Plotinus. As a Neo-Platonist, Plotinus holds Plato’s views of the
existence of the One as “the source of the whole.” He writes that the One is
pure love, supplying life, intelligence, and beauty to lesser beings who
reflect this overflow of the One like mirrors reflecting a light.[1] In
this way, Plotinus believes the One gives form to matter, making it beautiful.
Plotinus gives the example of a sculpture shaping a statue to explain the
formation of matter. The unworked stone, says Plotinus is not nearly as
beautiful as the shaped statue, because the beauty lies in the life form
represented by the statue.[2]
Similarly, even the statue cannot embody life as a human being can and is thus
less beautiful than a human being. Indeed, a work of art is dead without a
subject to embody and a painter to give it form, just as matter is dead without
the beauty of form given it by the One.[3] In
this way, Plotinus reasons that beauty is a connection between the earthly and
the divine: a vestige of the One’s own being, stamped upon creation.
The Relation of Beauty to Man
The way man sees beauty is wholly
dependent on his openness to it. Although it is true that many are able to
recognize the beauty of a supermodel, fewer find a pregnant woman beautiful.
Still fewer notice beauty in an elderly woman. This is because man is most attuned
to what Plotinus terms “sensible beauty.” Sensible beauty is the perception of the
aforementioned external beauty as a unity of form, not merely an arrangement of
parts, and is brought about by direct experience rather than meditation.[4]This
does not mean that man perceives all physical forms beautiful but rather those
which he believes to be the most unified, the most perfect. With this mindset,
man prefers the flawless skin of a normal healthy baby to one born with a large
birth mark on its face. Likewise, the chiseled body of an athlete is often
socially admired above the weak limbs of one inclined to the arts or to study.
Though the definition of physical attractiveness may change with the fashion of
the time and the culture, its basic foundation lies in what the public
perceives to be unblemished perfection.
Known to a smaller portion of
mankind, is what Plotinus terms “invisible beauty:” that which is discovered through
extensive use of the intellect and which is often the source of a person’s
internal beauty. When compared to intellectual invisible beauty, sensible
beauty is a mere shadow because while invisible beauty is harder to “see,” it
is a degree closer to union with the One.[5]Plotinus
explains this deeper connection with the Divine by saying that in the One, “the
qualities of beauty and goodness are the same;”[6]therefore,
all that is good, by necessity, is also beautiful. The goodness and beauty of
the intellect lies within the soul of a being, which is why human beings, as
possessing higher souls than plants or animals, are the most beautiful
creatures on earth and therefore related most closely to the Divine. Despite
the difficulty involved in its perception due to strenuous effort on the part
of the intellect, invisible beauty produces feelings of wonder, longing,
passion and joy, because one who comes into mental contact with this striking
beauty of the Divine must realize that it truly exists.[7] As
Gustavo Perez says in his essay on Plotinus’s theory of beauty in relation to
art, beauty forms and encourages the soul’s ascendance to the One.[8]
Similarly, Ota Gál, in his
exposition of Plotinus’s theory of beauty, says that to attain beauty through
the intellect is to contemplate it in relation to the One.[9]
Since beauty, as a connection with
the One, is goodness itself, the soul gains beauty when it gains
goodness. It is clear then, that to obtain goodness and beauty is to become
like the Divine.[10]The
beautiful soul is characterized by a righteous life, courage, dignity, modesty,
and a pure morality that comes from the illumination of the Divine intellect.[11] Furthermore,
it delights in seeking after virtue and goodness because these are the
fulfillment of its identity as an image of the Divine. Such values are particularly exemplified in a person like Mother Theresa. In spite of a face deeply etched with the
sorrows and joys of her past and a body stooped from years of hard work, the
tiny nun attracted even non-religious people, and while some may not have used
the word beautiful, they found the life that filled her small frame infectious.
She is, though many do not understand the full significance of it, an example of a beautiful soul. Not
all souls turn towards this light as Mother Theresa's, however, and Plotinus describes the ugly
soul as one that has focused its efforts on obtaining objects of sense. This
dilution of beauty by seeking primarily the body and matter drags the ugly soul
in every direction as it searches for false beauty in increasingly dimmer
reflections of the ultimate beauty of the One. Even the most physically
beautiful being can have an ugly soul. Lucifer himself was once the most
beautiful of creations, but his pride led him away from communion with God and
into evil. The ugly soul is characterized by addictions to the material and bodily
which distract the soul’s essence, the intellect[12]
and communion with the One.
Every man has an element of ugliness
to his soul by very nature of his humanity, but no matter how far the ugly soul
strays from the joys of the intellect, it can always return, wiping away the
grime of material focus to uncover the beauty beneath.[13]Plotinus
calls for the development of the intellect in order to purify the soul and
bring it to greater depths of beauty but explains that training oneself to see
beauty is a strenuous discipline. While some recognition of bodily beauty comes
naturally to man, it is much harder to focus the intellect on the perception of
invisible beauty because it involves disciplining the mind to see that which is
not naturally seen and to persevere through education and mental exertion. It
is necessary, however, that man focus his efforts on training his intellect
because such growth unites the soul to a higher reality and realizes its full
potential as a creation and image of the One. When the soul becomes beautiful
in this way it achieves a better understanding of reality and an increased
perception of beauty, including sensible beauty.[14]
Thus, the man’s relation to beauty comes in full circle: First, he is attracted
by sensible beauty, so he pursues it and discovers invisible beauty; next, he
strives to train his intellect to see invisible beauty more clearly in order to
journey nearer to the One; and finally, made beautiful by his ability to
perceive invisible beauty in creation and the intellect, man will also be able to see sensible beauty in a new light everywhere he
turns. Plotinus adds that those passionately in love with the invisible will
have trained their inner eye to see the beauty of structure and form, thus
grasping the significance of its existence and the value of life.[15]
Without relation to an intelligible being, the body has no substance, but with
an intellectualized, metaphysical understanding of the universe, one can come to
see the beauty that exists within creation and in recognize its existence as a
reflection of and relation to the Divine.
The Connection between Love and Beauty
Whether it is sensible or invisible,
when man encounters beauty, he experiences an immediate attraction. This is
easily demonstrated in the physical realm, where most can easily recognize
beauty. When one spends time with a person who is wearing a pleasant-smelling
cologne, for instance, there is an immediate inclination, however slight, to
draw nearer or remain in the company of that person. The aroma brings pleasure
to the senses and thus delights the body with its sensible beauty. In contrast,
when one is placed in the company of someone who smells unpleasant, the first
impulse is to plug one’s nose, or try to avoid breathing in the stench, seeking
instead, fresh clean air. In this way, it is easy to see the way in which man
superficially loves and pursues beauty. With the discovery of invisible beauty,
man also develops an attraction to the deeper and more meaningful beauty of the
intellect. Plotinus describes this attraction as one spurred on by a longing
for beauty, inspired by an original encounter with “one beautiful body”[16]
Once man has encountered beauty, particularly intellectually, a hunger is
awakened in him to seek out more. For example, if a song evokes emotion and
positive memories that one finds beautiful, one will replay the song to seek
out those memories once more. The beauty captivates and attracts man, evoking
love, and inspiring him to pursue it.
This attraction to beauty is
illustrated on tangible level in human relationships. When a man and woman
first meet, sometimes there is an instant feeling of attraction that many refer
to as ‘love at first sight.’ At this stage, the beginning of love, the
attraction is primarily sensible, based on physical, visual and auditory
appearances. For example, the man might be attracted to the woman’s smile, her
petite figure, her long, flowing hair, the rich tone of her laugh. The woman,
for part, might like the man’s granite-green eyes, the way she has to look up
to see into them, and the deep, reassuring feel of his voice. There may also be
some recognition of invisible beauty, in the way the couple’s personalities
click, the things they have in common, and maybe even the discussion of their
ideals, but the understanding of the invisible can only go so far at this stage
because each is putting their ‘best foot forward,’ and the depth of their souls
cannot be contained in a mere first encounter, however successful. This initial
attraction within a relationship directly correlates with man’s initial
attraction to sensible beauty in all forms; It comes naturally and easily as if
he were pre-programed to recognize the beauty and respond with admiration
because that recognition is a remnant of man’s connection with the true beauty
of the Divine.
Initial attraction within a
relationship, if strong enough, next leads to the development of deeper feelings.
The couple moves on from occasional, thrilling yet nervous encounters and
conversations to a more structured relationship. They begin to learn each
other’s strengths and weaknesses, at first as a kind of intriguing game, but
eventually in order to avoid conflict of wills. As the initial excitement and
newness of their friendship dies down, it becomes more of a choice to continue
in the relationship. This is the stage at which sacrifice is required on the
part of both. Because this part of the relationship can stretch anywhere from
when the couple is dating to later on in marriage, it contains varying
challenges to overcome, but the main focus is learning to see the invisible
beauty of the other person. For instance, though a husband may like to rise
early, his wife might prefer to stay up late and sleep in. He may become
frustrated by an unclean house, while she might be artistic and impulsive,
leaving a trail of unfinished projects in each room. Where the excitement and
feelings of sensible attraction once masked the ugly parts of the person’s
soul, now they are exposed by familiarity and the frailty of human nature. To
solve these problems, compromises must be made. She must learn to appreciate
his structured lifestyle as a steady force in her life, while he must allow her
dreams to add color to his. It becomes a matter of discipline and growth: in
effect, the same challenge presented by the training of the intellect. They
must participate in the search for beauty, finding and appreciating the good
parts of each other’s souls.
Eventually, through unselfish
dedication by each to see the beauty of the other, they will bring out the
purification of their own souls. In their search for beauty, they will become
beautiful themselves and as a result, open themselves to be able to see
increased beauty in both the physical and the spiritual. This is love in which
a husband and wife give unconditionally and discover the intrinsic value of the
other person’s life. In helping one another, they help themselves to recognize
true beauty and thus achieve true love; for as initial attraction to beauty
evokes the beginnings of love, so the perfection of beauty because love
perfected. Ultimately, the participants will come to realize as Plotinus did
that the origin of love is the longing for beauty itself[17]
and that the search for love is a search for the beauty of the One imprinted in
the life of every human being. In short, with the spiritual consummation of
their love, spurring each other’s souls on to perfection, the couple rises to experience
pure beauty and love in union with the One.
In conclusion, by an examination of
the meaning of beauty in the writings of Plotinus, one discovers the
purification of the soul through true love, which originates and develops
through exposure to beauty. Illustrated by the concept of a loving marital
relationship, the process of one’s first attraction to beauty,
transformed by the development of the intellect into true love and recognition
of invisible beauty, demonstrates the connection between love and beauty and
the way in which man’s soul is made beautiful as a reflection of the perfect
One. In this purification the soul is opened to the abounding beauty of life
itself, not only in the rainbow or the toddlers smile, but in the elderly
woman’s jubilant song and the lanky scholar’s perceptive wit. For, as the historical
scholar Margaret Miles once paraphrased Plotinus, “To perceive beauty is to
experience the universe as a gift.”[18]
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