One of the questions that has most bothered me in my reflections on culture is the question of kitsch. Just what is it? When did it begin? And why?
Roger ScrutonRead
Beauty is vanishing from our world because we live as though it does not matter.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of recognizing and valuing beauty in our lives, suggesting that neglecting it leads to its disappearance.
Roger Scruton's quote reflects on society's tendency to overlook the significance of beauty in our lives, arguing that this indifference contributes to its gradual loss. His words invite reflection on the values we prioritize and encourage a deeper appreciation for aesthetics and beauty, which enrich our experiences and enhance our surroundings.
Themes
BeautyValueAppreciationIndifferenceAesthetics
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker at an art gallery could quote this to emphasize the importance of art and beauty in our lives.
More from Roger Scruton
All quotes βThere are big questions science doesn't answer, such as why is there something rather than nothing? There can't be a scientific answer to that because it's the answer that precedes science.
Roger ScrutonRead
18th century opera is packed with emotion, but contains not a trace of kitsch. Only with the 'thees' and 'thous' of Victorian poetry does the disease begin to grow in our poetic tradition.
Roger ScrutonRead
The robust English view used to be that the correct response to offensive words is to ignore them, or to answer them with a rebuke. If you invoke the law at all, it should be to protect the one who gives the offence, and not the one who takes it. Now, it seems, it is all the other way round.
Roger ScrutonRead
For two centuries the English countryside has been an icon of national identity and the loved reminder of our island home. Yet the government is bent on littering the hills with wind turbines and the valleys with high speed railways.
Roger ScrutonRead
You cannot own a symphony or a novel in the way you can own a Damien Hirst. As a result there are far fewer fake symphonies or fake novels than there are fake works of visual art.
Roger ScrutonRead
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