The Triangular Door

The way into the human condition is threefold

Ancient thinkers believed that to have a flourishing society, you needed three things: the true, the good, and the beautiful. I referenced these before, but a bit more needs to be said about them and their importance. I believe a diagram is in order:

The transcendentals are these cosmic values that are, well, transcendent. They transcend time, space, culture, and age. Truth gives us rationality and logic; Goodness gives us morality and ethics; and Beauty gives us spirituality and aesthetics. Together, the true, the good, and the beautiful make up what psychologist Henry Rutgers Marshall calls “the Real.” Each transcendental is individually important. Each brings something unique to life that the others can’t offer. At the same time, they’re deeply connected with one another: what’s true is often good, what’s good is often beautiful, and what’s beautiful is often true. 

Architect Minoru Yamasaki in 1964 (Associated Press). Yamasaki reintroduced warmth and humanity back into modernist design by incorporating plazas with reflecting pools, greenery, and seating areas.

Why these three? Why not another three? Why not more than three? The reason is simple. These three are in direct correlation with the three aspects of the whole person: the mind (Truth), the body (Goodness), and the spirit (Beauty). That means the way into the reality of the human condition is three-fold. Think about this for a moment. It’s quite possible to be treated as a mind only and have your body neglected, such as being overworked; that’s truth without goodness. It’s quite possible to be so physically protected that you’re never allowed any fun at all, such as with the sheltered child; that’s goodness without beauty. It’s quite possible that a person can become so in love with pleasure that they end up ruining their lives, such as with the addict; that’s beauty without truth. But when a person has their mind fed, their body cared for, and their spirit lifted, you have a thriving person.

From there, it’s simply a matter of multiplication. Feed the minds of the people, care for their bodies, and lift their spirits, and you get a thriving society. This is why we’ve established institutions dedicated to the growth and protection of these values. Schools exist to educate us on how to think smarter (Truth). The legal system exists to ensure we live peacefully with one another (Goodness). The arts exist to awaken us to what is most pleasing and valuable in life (Beauty). The more that we as a society invest in these institutions, the more we invest in ourselves. 

Are we investing in these values today? It goes without saying that Truth and Goodness are of vital importance to public health and safety. Over against postmodernism’s efforts to do away with them, we still bristle at fake news and are quick to call out acts of harm. But Beauty is something that we’ve cut out of the equation. We feel society can run just fine without it. We still find value in it, of course, nobody thinks that beauty in general is a bad thing–it’s just no longer a public value. It’s more of a personal thing. It’s important if it’s important to you.

But if the old philosophers and theologians are right, our lack of investment in the arts isn’t harmless. It means we aren’t treating the whole self. It means we aren’t nurturing a part of ourselves–that is, the spiritual part–that can’t be helped by mere rationality or morality. Perhaps as you read this you are tuning into the heaviness already in the air. Do you feel it? The problem with the question “What is Beauty?” isn’t that it’s an unresolved question (for all the transcendentals are unresolvable). We should be more concerned with the fact that it's an unasked question. 

With that said, allow me to reintroduce the topic. What is Beauty? What is the purpose of the arts? What do artists actually do for us aside from the occasional distraction? The following posts will be a series dedicated to establishing what art is by what it does. The subject will be divided up thus:

1. Art as Form: Is Art a Calling?

2. Art as Pleasure: What’s the Problem with Passion?

3. Art as Fullness: How Can We Collaborate Well?

4. Art as Unfinished: Why is it Always about What’s Next?

5. Art as Eternal: Will the Artist’s Work Matter in the End?

This is neither an exhaustive nor an absolute definition. But I do intend to add to the conversation. I draw from theological and philosophical reflections, always with the heart of an artist. I mean to suggest reasons for restoring Beauty to its proper place among the trio, and encourage you, the reader, to invest in yourself by investing in your local artist. We need artists to be excellent. We all do.