Category:ODF

Nicole Bates August 24, 2008 Dr. Menke English 3000 Aesthetics

       I find my bulldog, Katie, to be truly beautiful.  Dr Menke said, “If something is truly beautiful, we should be indifferent of its existence,” however, I am no indifferent to Katie’s existence.  Had I not had a bond with her I could be indifferent to her existence and still find her beautiful which agrees with Kant’s Third Critique.  I find Katie beautiful rather than simply agreeable or good.  She does not just gratify my senses, nor does reason make me desire her beauty.

When thinking about Katie’s beauty, I disregard her usefulness. However, her beauty increases because of her existence. This is a point which I do not agree with Kant. I do not necessarily disagree with Kant, but I can not consider Katie’s beauty without considering her existence. I am allergic to Katie, so her existence actually hinders my life. Because of this I can claim her beauty disregarding her existence. Of course as I look at Katie, I feel everyone should see her beauty. I can not give rules as to why Katie is beautiful, but I believe she should please all. I believe in ideology; I presume everyone should feel the same way I do. Kant states, “Beauty is the form of purposiveness in an object, so far as perceived in to apart from the presentation of a purpose.” I do agree with this statement because I see Katie as beautiful, but I can not explain her purpose. I also believe beauty is found by observing the object’s form. I find Katie beautiful in her simplest form; the way she walks, the movement of her muscles and the definition of each body part, her body structure. I would still find her beautiful if she did not have hair. Her beauty is subjective because I find her beautiful, but also universal because everyone should find her beautiful.