The Power of Beauty
On the Aesthetics of Homer, Plato, and Cicero
En del af fagområdet Filosofi og etik
Mere om bogen
Om bogen
The history of man shows that beauty has always been a subject of universal interest, and through the ages up to the present day the power of beauty has continued to exert itself. Yet, notions of what constitutes "the beautiful" differ greatly, and the phenomenon as such remains a conundrum.
The fascination of beauty gave rise to a long-standing European philosophical tradition on the idea of beauty, the beginnings of which link back to ancient Greek mythology. Above all, beauty was associated with light and brilliance. In other words: beauty is shining, a phrase used even today. However, from the dawn of Modernity the discourse on beauty slowly began to dissapear from theory and philosophy. While classical tradition dealt with the beauty of cosmos and living beings down to the beauty of rhetoric, life style, and education, modern theory trivialized the significance of beauty and finally abondoned the topic.
The Power of Beauty is an attempt to put beauty on the agenda again by reviewing the very origin of this ancient idea. Refelctions on beauty and the ugly are present already in Homer's mythology, and later developed and refined in Plato's philosophy. Also Cicero's philosophical and rhetorical works are inspired by the Greek legacy.
Far from being outmoded, the ancient sources not only reveal the profound knowledge and counsel present in ancient thinking, but also its elegance, charm, and wit. In this way the ancient legacy constitutes a sound challenge to the arrogrance of modern thinking.
Forlaget skriver:
30 september 2024
Bogtorsdag den 10. oktober
Vær med når Aarhus Universitetsforlag sammen med Det Kgl. Bibliotek fejrer forfatterne bag vores nyeste udgivelser til Bogtor…
5 september 2024
Historien lever i Den Gamle By 5. og 6. oktober
HISTORIEN LEVER 2024 Mød Aarhus Universitetsforlag på den historiske bogfestival HISTOREN LEVER i Den Gamle By den 5. og 6.…
4 september 2024
Efterårets første Bogtorsdag d. 12. september
Vær med når Aarhus Universitetsforlag sammen med Det Kgl. Bibliotek fejrer forfatterne bag vores nye udgivelser til sæsonens…