Date of Award

7-1927

Degree Type

Bachelors Essay

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Philosophy

First Advisor

William M. Magee

Second Advisor

John F. McCormick

Abstract

When one essays a dissertation on some profound subject, such as The Beautiful and its relation to the Good, he may well begin with an analysis or exposition of the Beautiful. The first question to be answered is, "What do men mean when, viewing some object or event, they say, 'That is beautiful?'" They express themselves in these words when there is present to them some landscape tinted with the sun is fair rays or affording the mellow moonbeams an object upon which to shower their splendor. The fine arts, painting, sculpture, architecture and music evoke such an expression of the pleasure given by viewing or hearing a Gothic cathedral or a great opera. As examples of objects of beauty we have, the Cathedral of Notre Dame , the operas "Lucia", "Aida", and the "Tales of Hoffman". In literature we have Dante's "Divine Comedy" and the works of the Immortal Shakespeare. When the sight of a thing arouses in us a contrary sentiment, or none at all, but leaves us indifferent, we do not call that thing beautiful. We may here, at the beginning of this treatise, propose as a definition that "The beautiful is that which pleases us. The common or the ugly displeases or leaves us indifferent.

Comments

A Thesis submitted partially to fulfill the requirements for The Degree of Bachelor of Arts, College of Liberal Arts. Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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