--- product_id: 3274440 title: "Beauty: A Very Short Introduction" price: "₹ 3593" currency: INR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.in/products/3274440-beauty-a-very-short-introduction store_origin: IN region: India --- # Beauty: A Very Short Introduction **Price:** ₹ 3593 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Beauty: A Very Short Introduction - **How much does it cost?** ₹ 3593 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.in](https://www.desertcart.in/products/3274440-beauty-a-very-short-introduction) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Beauty can be consoling, disturbing, sacred, profane; it can be exhilarating, appealing, inspiring, chilling. It can affect us in an unlimited variety of ways. Yet it is never viewed with indifference. In this Very Short Introduction , the renowned philosopher Roger Scruton explores the concept of beauty, asking what makes an object--either in art, in nature, or the human form--beautiful, and examining how we can compare differing judgments of beauty when it is evident all around us that our tastes vary so widely. Is there a right judgment to be made about beauty? Is it right to say there is more beauty in a classical temple than a concrete office block, more in a Rembrandt than in an Andy Warhol Campbell Soup Can? Forthright and thought-provoking, and as accessible as it is intellectually rigorous, this introduction to the philosophy of beauty draws conclusions that some may find controversial, but, as Scruton shows, help us to find greater sense of meaning in the beautiful objects that fill our lives. Review: Excellent introduction to thinking philosophically about beauty - Roger Scruton has written a fascinating and thought-provoking introduction to the philosophical musings surrounding beauty in this book. Rather than attempting to to exactly define what beauty is he takes a different route, striving to help the reader work through how beauty relates to man and what the significance of that relationship is. Scruton leans heavily on Kant, never quite affirming or denying Kant's ideas, but rather playing off of them, pointing out where they are helpful but also exposing their shortsightedness and/or misconceptions. In that regard, Scruton felt very balanced and mature in his approach. As a writer, I greatly appreciated Scruton's tactic of introducing ideas and concepts early in the book which he utilized later, early ideas and concepts being built upon and "paying off" later on in the book. The connection of desire and the exploration of sexual desire and attraction between people which he works through in the second chapter is essential to the line between erotic art and pornography he divines later on. Additionally, he introduces the idea of the sacred as early as the first chapter, though it is much more extensively explored in the second chapter and onward, which he then draws on for his climactic eighth chapter, art is contrasted with kitsch and the treasuring of the sacred with its desecration in postmodernity. Additionally, though it was only explored briefly, the parallel between the appreciation of jokes (and the difference between good ones and bad ones) and the beauty of art (which is judged as good and bad as well) I found quite insightful. I think a better argument might have been made for some equivalence between humor and beauty, but there are also dark corners to the reality of humor which do not fit Scruton's ultimate orientation for beauty, so that equivalence would not have lasted long at all. Though he never comes forward as a Christian, Scruton's religious worldview is evident in the eighth chapter, specifically with his elevation of sacrifice as that path which beauty offers to man as salvation from the mindless addiction of kitsch and desecration. To explore the ramifications of such a connection would, in my opinion, require an entirely different volume (or more) to tease out. Here, Scruton seems satisfied to point and highlight. Overall I found the book a quite enjoyable read, and much more accessible than I first feared. Though some of the philosophical waters he treads in are deep, he does so with ease and an nonchalant proficiency of which I am slightly envious. I would highly recommend this book to pastors and especially worship leaders or worship arts pastors who are trying to work through how the arts can fit into their church. While not proposing a theology of the arts, Scruton has laid a philosophical (and almost theological) foundation which could greatly contribute to anyone working through such things. I also think this book would be accessible to anyone interested in delving a little deeper into the philosophical waters surrounding beauty, and it would be a great starting point before diving into some much deeper waters with other philosophical writers. Review: If you read one book on philosophical aesthetics… - Scruton's expertise in Kant stands him in good stead in this introduction to philosophical aesthetics. (His Oxford "very short introduction" to Kant is excellent.) Here, I would like to see more on Hume's second enquiry, but in the end it is still the finest brief introduction with which I am familiar to philosophical aesthetics. His brief treatments of kitsch and the potential sacrality of beauty are quite useful. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #46,927 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #6 in Conceptual Arts (Books) #8 in Philosophy Aesthetics #15 in Arts & Photography Criticism | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 698 Reviews | ## Images ![Beauty: A Very Short Introduction - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71-gYb+llsL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent introduction to thinking philosophically about beauty *by Z***H on August 7, 2017* Roger Scruton has written a fascinating and thought-provoking introduction to the philosophical musings surrounding beauty in this book. Rather than attempting to to exactly define what beauty is he takes a different route, striving to help the reader work through how beauty relates to man and what the significance of that relationship is. Scruton leans heavily on Kant, never quite affirming or denying Kant's ideas, but rather playing off of them, pointing out where they are helpful but also exposing their shortsightedness and/or misconceptions. In that regard, Scruton felt very balanced and mature in his approach. As a writer, I greatly appreciated Scruton's tactic of introducing ideas and concepts early in the book which he utilized later, early ideas and concepts being built upon and "paying off" later on in the book. The connection of desire and the exploration of sexual desire and attraction between people which he works through in the second chapter is essential to the line between erotic art and pornography he divines later on. Additionally, he introduces the idea of the sacred as early as the first chapter, though it is much more extensively explored in the second chapter and onward, which he then draws on for his climactic eighth chapter, art is contrasted with kitsch and the treasuring of the sacred with its desecration in postmodernity. Additionally, though it was only explored briefly, the parallel between the appreciation of jokes (and the difference between good ones and bad ones) and the beauty of art (which is judged as good and bad as well) I found quite insightful. I think a better argument might have been made for some equivalence between humor and beauty, but there are also dark corners to the reality of humor which do not fit Scruton's ultimate orientation for beauty, so that equivalence would not have lasted long at all. Though he never comes forward as a Christian, Scruton's religious worldview is evident in the eighth chapter, specifically with his elevation of sacrifice as that path which beauty offers to man as salvation from the mindless addiction of kitsch and desecration. To explore the ramifications of such a connection would, in my opinion, require an entirely different volume (or more) to tease out. Here, Scruton seems satisfied to point and highlight. Overall I found the book a quite enjoyable read, and much more accessible than I first feared. Though some of the philosophical waters he treads in are deep, he does so with ease and an nonchalant proficiency of which I am slightly envious. I would highly recommend this book to pastors and especially worship leaders or worship arts pastors who are trying to work through how the arts can fit into their church. While not proposing a theology of the arts, Scruton has laid a philosophical (and almost theological) foundation which could greatly contribute to anyone working through such things. I also think this book would be accessible to anyone interested in delving a little deeper into the philosophical waters surrounding beauty, and it would be a great starting point before diving into some much deeper waters with other philosophical writers. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you read one book on philosophical aesthetics… *by N***N on August 20, 2025* Scruton's expertise in Kant stands him in good stead in this introduction to philosophical aesthetics. (His Oxford "very short introduction" to Kant is excellent.) Here, I would like to see more on Hume's second enquiry, but in the end it is still the finest brief introduction with which I am familiar to philosophical aesthetics. His brief treatments of kitsch and the potential sacrality of beauty are quite useful. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Not simply in the eyes of the beholder *by J***R on September 18, 2020* I wouldn't necessarily call this a *very* short introduction, as the title suggests. But it is a large topic, so perhaps any introduction would be considered 'short.' Scruton covers a lot of ground, from the Greeks and Romans through Aquinas and Dante, all the way down to the present day flight from beauty altogether. He develops a concept of four distinct types of beauty: human beauty, as an object of desire; natural beauty, as an object of contemplation; everyday beauty, as an object of practical reason; and artistic beauty, as a form of meaning and an object of taste. Each is developed in its own chapter, with prolific examples provided throughout. The book is somewhat academic and definitely not a page-turner, but still a worthwhile introduction to an important topic. Recommended. ## Frequently Bought Together - Beauty: A Very Short Introduction - The Soul of the World - The Aesthetics of Architecture --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.in/products/3274440-beauty-a-very-short-introduction](https://www.desertcart.in/products/3274440-beauty-a-very-short-introduction) --- *Product available on Desertcart India* *Store origin: IN* *Last updated: 2026-05-30*