A Concept of Beauty of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy
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Abstract
The purpose of this article is to analyze Ananda K. Coomaraswamy’s conception of beauty. The study employs a documentary research method, drawing upon relevant texts and scholarly works. The findings reveal that: - beauty is a value that can be perceived by humans and has long been a subject of philosophical debate. Prominent philosophers such as Plato regarded beauty as something that must correspond to an ideal Form of Beauty, which truly exists in the World of Forms. The beauty perceived in this world is merely a reflection of the true beauty found in the ideal realm. Beauty, in Plato’s view, is intrinsically linked to goodness and truth. Similarly, Thomas Aquinas considered beauty as a characteristic of the good, relating it to God as “the ultimate source of goodness and beauty. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy regarded beauty as one of the attributes of the ultimate reality, which in Indian philosophy is referred to as Sat (absolute being), Cit (pure consciousness), and Ananda (eternal bliss). He criticized modern art and Western perspectives that emphasize novelty and emotional gratification, viewing such tendencies as distortions of the original intent of art, which was once sacred. Coomaraswamy proposed that beauty is not merely a matter of emotional response or personal taste; rather, it is the manifestation of the ultimate truth in the sensory dimension. Art, therefore, must serve as a medium of spiritual communication, not merely for superficial enjoyment. Harmony and order, according to him, are the essence of beauty. In this study, the researcher aligns with the views of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, as his perspective offers a profound spiritual understanding of beauty. This approach does not reduce beauty to an object of sensory pleasure or personal sentiment; rather, it affirms beauty as “the manifestation of the ultimate truth” in perceptible form, intimately connected to the structure of the cosmos. When considered from this perspective, Coomaraswamy’s conception of beauty appears to resonate with Plato’s—both reflecting a form of absolutism.
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บทความที่ได้รับการตีพิมพ์เป็นลิขสิทธิ์ของวารสาร มจร ปรัชญาปริทรรศน์
ข้อความในบทความที่ได้รับการตีพิมพ์ในวารสาร ถือเป็นความรับผิดชอบของผู้เขียนบทความ และข้อคิดเห็นนั้นไม่ถือว่าเป็นทัศนะและความรับผิดชอบของกองบรรณาธิการวารสาร มจร ปรัชญาปริทรรศน์
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