AESTHETICS BECOMES ETHICS OR 'BEAUTY IS TRUTH, TRUTH BEAUTY'
There is rightly much concern about protecting children from porn, but the obvious obscenity of porn is only one perversion of truth to which children are vulnerable. Children can see social media content and advertising on their mobiles which are pefectly legal, yet promote other perversions of truth which can be harmful too. In these, human beings are pictured in a way that is far from their natural selves. They are presented as artificial objects: with perfect bodies; natural hair removed or modified; curves surgically adjusted; teeth whitened; and, of course, every sorrow or insecurity buried under under a smile, material success, a beautiful landscape and lovely music.
This fantasy of perceptions and feelings becomes a source of their judgement of themselves and other human beings. As Professor Heather Widdows argues in her book ‘Perfect Me: Beauty as an Ethical Ideal’, beauty ideals become shared ethical ideals. So we judge ourselves and others as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ on the basis of whether we or they are beautiful; rather than on whether they are kind, honest or loving.
This perversion of values starts with the Psychology Religion stating that parents should not be ‘judgemental’. So children, like Ethan in this story link . . . are therefore denied an opportunity to develop something that is fundamental to our nature as human beings: a sense of right and wrong, and the ability to discern truth from falsehood. This lack of disciplinary foundation then leaves a gap in their humanity that has to be filled; and it is filled by an ethos based on 'what I want'. Since 'what I want', is for them, that things must be nice and beautiful, then it follows that what is 'nice and beautiful' become the basis for what they believe to be good and true. From these values comes a related group of evils: shame about body image, self-
The truth is that none of us are perfect, whether in terms of our physical appearance or our mental characteristics. It is natural that we should notice these facts in ourselves and others, and that we might wish that things were otherwise. It is also natural that other people should see these facts too. But the solution to any problem that comes from the demonizing or bullying of someone who is less than perfect (as we all are), is not to encourage the victim to pretend that everything about them is fine. Instead, it is to punish the demonizer and the bully to make them aware that they must stop doing what they are doing because it is wrong; or else! That may not sound very nice or beautiful, but it is a challenging truth.
Unfortunately, Psychology as Religion (once again) aims to deal with such situations by lying. It advocates The Talking Cure . . .
