Leo D.M.J. Aurini - Without Beauty There is only Lust

00:00:00.000 Music

00:00:27.760 Music

00:00:30.000 So this is part two in my response, my reaction to the documentary Why Beauty Matters by Roger

00:00:43.740 Scruton. And in this video, I'd like to talk about one form of beauty, one form of love,

00:00:54.120 eros. That without eros, without true eros, all we have left is lust. And eros is very,

00:01:09.520 very lacking in this world.

00:01:11.260 You know, a long time ago, probably 20 years ago, I ran into this article saying that couples

00:01:26.240 were going to Italy, they were going to the Louvre, to look at these Renaissance artworks,

00:01:34.000 these religious artworks, to reignite the flame in their marriage. Now, these weren't erotic

00:01:43.100 artworks that they were looking at. These were spiritual pieces. One of them, as I recall,

00:01:52.680 was Mary being informed by the angel that she was going to be the mother of Christ.

00:02:04.000 These were non-erotic images. And yet the expressions on those people's faces, on Mary's face in

00:02:18.080 that sculpture, had a very erotic quality to it, an orgasmic quality to it.

00:02:29.660 Now, I don't, and I don't think noting this is at all vulgar.

00:02:40.920 Not in the least.

00:02:44.800 In fact, I don't think the news report I saw on it remotely did it justice. It was, there's the truth,

00:02:52.660 you know, shouting at you, and you can't hear it because somehow you got it into your head,

00:02:59.640 that because something is religious, it must not be sexy.

00:03:07.420 In my last video, my last video I noted, and by the way, I'm also stealing this from C.S. Lewis.

00:03:15.380 He talks about this in his book on pain. I forget the specific title right now, but

00:03:22.100 C.S. Lewis, the meaning of pain, something like that.

00:03:28.840 At one point he starts discussing, are there pains in heaven?

00:03:33.640 Is there pain in heaven?

00:03:35.580 And he starts reflecting on the fact that beauty is often very painful for us to look at.

00:03:45.360 But it's a wonderful pain.

00:03:48.080 And so surely that sort of pain is also present in heaven.

00:03:51.540 And then he reflects deeper, that there are so, so many of these feelings.

00:04:02.640 Terror, for instance.

00:04:06.160 Now, if you've ever been in a dangerous situation, or you had an animal attack you,

00:04:12.820 you know that visceral grip, that cold bolt of ice on your gut, that just strikes you.

00:04:26.180 In fact, it comes before knowledge.

00:04:28.840 You are scared of the animal before you're even fully cognizant of the fact that there's an animal,

00:04:34.200 before you can process that there's an animal attacking you.

00:04:37.160 This instinctive, emotional response comes immediately.

00:04:40.600 But then there are these religious emotions.

00:04:48.340 And all these religious emotions seem to mimic these physical emotions.

00:04:58.200 There is something terrifying and comforting about being in the church.

00:05:10.600 You know, many philosophers have talked about the awe of nature, of a hurricane.

00:05:20.700 That it's not just that a hurricane is frightening.

00:05:23.080 It is awful.

00:05:26.440 It inspires awe.

00:05:28.180 It is so much grander than us.

00:05:31.340 We apprehend it on this much, much greater level.

00:05:35.020 And so, so many of these spiritual feelings that we have.

00:05:47.940 The terror of a ghost.

00:05:50.120 How strange is it?

00:05:52.800 How strange is it that people are terrified of death?

00:05:59.180 Not terrified of dying, but terrified of the dead.

00:06:04.560 Terrified of ghosts.

00:06:07.080 These immaterial beings which can't, how can they hurt you?

00:06:14.140 You know, being scared of a tiger makes sense.

00:06:16.740 Being scared of a ghost is kind of weird.

00:06:19.880 And it's a different form of fear that we feel for it.

00:06:32.500 And the love of God

00:06:36.420 is it's...

00:06:41.880 For us to understand it.

00:06:46.720 It comes in multiple forms.

00:06:48.600 There is more than just one form of love.

00:06:53.420 And it is very...

00:06:56.880 It's similar to the erotic bliss

00:07:01.260 in the same way that apprehension of the magnitude

00:07:05.300 of the universe and the magnitude of God

00:07:08.360 is similar to being afraid of a tiger.

00:07:18.040 And so these medieval artworks

00:07:21.220 would capture this.

00:07:23.540 Not that they were trying to depict anything tawdry.

00:07:26.920 Far from it.

00:07:28.800 They're trying to point towards the true emotion

00:07:32.020 which we experience in a lesser form

00:07:38.860 here on Earth.

00:07:45.460 Particularly a lesser form

00:07:46.960 if it's merely lust.

00:07:56.120 Now what's the difference between lust and eros?

00:07:58.440 Well, I'd like to start with

00:08:02.740 another C.S. Lewis lecture actually

00:08:05.440 talking about storge.

00:08:07.660 The love of the familiar.

00:08:11.020 The familial love.

00:08:13.040 The love you have for your dog

00:08:15.180 and that your dog has for you.

00:08:19.200 And storge is

00:08:20.700 one of the least selfish forms of love.

00:08:24.780 It's one of the least

00:08:25.920 mercenary forms of love.

00:08:29.540 And

00:08:29.780 you even continue to love your family

00:08:32.200 even when you're angry at them.

00:08:34.400 You know, even with your dog.

00:08:35.700 You love your dog

00:08:36.780 even when you're angry at your dog.

00:08:38.960 And it's not a

00:08:39.840 demanding love.

00:08:41.320 It's not a jealous love.

00:08:43.100 It's not a profitable

00:08:44.780 love.

00:08:46.040 It's just this

00:08:46.840 innate

00:08:47.580 love.

00:08:52.100 And yet

00:08:52.700 even it's not enough.

00:08:54.120 Not on its own.

00:08:55.920 Lewis goes on

00:08:59.400 and I'll link to the video

00:09:01.900 down below

00:09:02.440 where he does that.

00:09:04.080 He goes on to describe

00:09:05.840 the

00:09:07.980 how storge

00:09:10.240 can become

00:09:11.860 greedy.

00:09:13.540 How it can become

00:09:14.860 selfish.

00:09:15.700 how there will be the parent

00:09:22.320 that ostensibly wants

00:09:24.140 the betterment

00:09:25.040 for their child

00:09:25.860 but

00:09:28.140 they want

00:09:29.260 their type of betterment.

00:09:30.680 They never choose to

00:09:31.900 understand the child

00:09:33.780 or figure out what the child

00:09:34.800 actually needs.

00:09:35.720 They just want to

00:09:36.860 put their standards

00:09:38.100 onto the child.

00:09:38.980 there's the

00:09:44.960 storge

00:09:45.720 which

00:09:47.700 is upset

00:09:49.620 if the child

00:09:50.660 or the friend

00:09:52.440 or the neighbor

00:09:53.740 moves somewhere else

00:09:56.400 or if they get married

00:09:57.580 or if they start

00:09:59.560 becoming quite serious

00:10:00.660 about going to church.

00:10:01.720 and

00:10:03.700 they're upset

00:10:05.340 because this person

00:10:06.840 they love

00:10:07.400 they feel like

00:10:08.120 they're losing

00:10:09.340 this person

00:10:10.920 they love

00:10:11.440 to the new experience.

00:10:13.100 So even storge

00:10:18.000 which is one of the

00:10:18.960 least

00:10:19.940 selfish

00:10:20.680 forms of love

00:10:21.700 if it's not

00:10:22.700 serving that

00:10:23.380 higher love

00:10:24.200 of God

00:10:25.040 and goodness

00:10:25.840 is ultimately

00:10:29.580 going to be

00:10:30.540 a very destructive

00:10:31.700 form of love

00:10:33.140 as well.

00:10:38.780 And when it comes

00:10:39.700 to erotic love

00:10:40.560 we are absolutely

00:10:43.820 awash

00:10:44.900 in lust

00:10:45.740 these days

00:10:47.040 which only

00:10:47.980 looks at

00:10:48.940 the immediate

00:10:50.160 it only looks

00:10:51.720 at

00:10:52.200 the

00:10:53.280 mechanical

00:10:54.580 the

00:10:55.060 you know

00:10:56.160 what can I

00:10:57.360 the instrumental

00:10:58.340 what can I get out

00:10:59.220 of this person

00:10:59.920 what can this person

00:11:01.520 do

00:11:01.920 for me

00:11:03.080 it's looking

00:11:04.100 only at the surface

00:11:05.260 it's not looking

00:11:06.240 at the person

00:11:07.360 throughout time

00:11:08.580 it's not

00:11:10.460 looking at the woman

00:11:11.800 and seeing the mother

00:11:13.340 and grandmother

00:11:15.060 that she could be

00:11:16.560 or likewise

00:11:17.560 looking at the man

00:11:18.380 and seeing the father

00:11:19.320 and grandfather

00:11:20.000 that he could be

00:11:21.020 it's only looking

00:11:22.640 at the

00:11:23.400 surface patina

00:11:24.820 the prettiness

00:11:26.100 and now this prettiness

00:11:32.760 is fine

00:11:35.320 if that's where

00:11:37.040 you start

00:11:37.900 but it's not

00:11:39.560 where you should

00:11:40.180 be

00:11:40.460 ending

00:11:41.140 the same thing

00:11:44.340 with art

00:11:44.780 prettiness

00:11:46.600 composition

00:11:47.680 color

00:11:49.060 all of the

00:11:50.520 these are good

00:11:51.200 things but they're

00:11:52.320 a starting

00:11:53.240 point

00:11:53.880 true eros

00:11:57.040 in particular

00:11:58.080 eros that's

00:11:59.620 ultimately

00:12:00.220 pursuing

00:12:01.440 the greatest

00:12:02.620 goodness

00:12:03.180 eros that's

00:12:04.340 subservient to the

00:12:05.240 greatest goodness

00:12:05.840 is going to be

00:12:07.100 looking at the

00:12:08.260 other person

00:12:08.980 and seeing

00:12:10.620 seeing them

00:12:11.620 throughout time

00:12:12.560 but also

00:12:13.480 seeing

00:12:14.320 into

00:12:15.320 their depths

00:12:16.840 seeing them

00:12:17.880 as a person

00:12:19.060 as a complex

00:12:20.060 human being

00:12:20.900 with these

00:12:22.280 these needs

00:12:23.280 and aspirations

00:12:24.900 and imperfections

00:12:25.840 and the sad

00:12:32.960 thing is that

00:12:33.400 we have been

00:12:33.960 so awash

00:12:35.700 in prettiness

00:12:37.560 we've been

00:12:39.280 so awash

00:12:40.140 in lust

00:12:40.940 even our

00:12:43.120 romances

00:12:43.760 the romances

00:12:46.380 we tell

00:12:46.820 these days

00:12:47.560 seldom stop

00:12:50.000 they seldom

00:12:51.080 go on

00:12:51.560 past the

00:12:52.020 marriage

00:12:52.420 they end

00:12:53.580 with the

00:12:54.080 marriage

00:12:54.500 it's the

00:12:55.280 it's the

00:12:56.340 oeuvre

00:12:57.600 it's the

00:12:59.000 beginning

00:13:00.020 of the

00:13:01.140 symphony

00:13:01.500 it's the

00:13:03.380 it's the

00:13:06.220 introduction

00:13:06.600 to the

00:13:07.000 story

00:13:07.360 and the rest

00:13:08.840 of the

00:13:09.040 story is

00:13:09.400 forgotten

00:13:09.880 appreciating

00:13:20.020 a woman 0.57

00:13:20.400 for the

00:13:21.860 way

00:13:22.160 she looks

00:13:23.640 in her

00:13:24.460 youthful

00:13:25.000 splendor

00:13:25.580 the way

00:13:26.620 she looks

00:13:26.960 when she's

00:13:27.360 dressed up

00:13:27.900 or appreciating

00:13:28.700 a man

00:13:29.180 for

00:13:30.120 you know

00:13:32.060 the

00:13:32.340 image

00:13:33.120 he presents

00:13:34.460 the success

00:13:35.380 the confidence

00:13:36.040 and that

00:13:37.160 alone

00:13:37.680 is that's

00:13:40.820 not beauty

00:13:41.320 that's

00:13:42.320 prettiness

00:13:42.980 that's

00:13:44.680 this

00:13:45.680 this

00:13:46.020 shallowness

00:13:46.940 and it's

00:13:48.340 not enough

00:13:49.540 for us

00:13:50.160 we are

00:13:51.640 meant for

00:13:52.240 more than

00:13:52.700 this

00:13:53.020 we are

00:13:53.560 meant for

00:13:53.960 more

00:13:54.380 than just

00:13:55.580 cheap

00:13:58.460 entertainment

00:13:59.260 and expediency

00:14:01.200 and

00:14:02.820 instrumental

00:14:03.700 manipulations

00:14:04.600 there is

00:14:06.740 this deeper

00:14:07.580 beauty

00:14:08.640 present

00:14:09.200 in

00:14:10.200 eros

00:14:10.800 and

00:14:11.820 you can

00:14:12.480 see that

00:14:13.260 you can

00:14:13.640 see that

00:14:14.020 in great

00:14:14.360 art

00:14:14.640 both

00:14:16.800 the

00:14:18.000 spiritual

00:14:18.520 art

00:14:18.960 which

00:14:19.620 points

00:14:20.380 towards

00:14:21.080 why

00:14:23.080 why

00:14:24.400 this

00:14:24.740 thing

00:14:25.020 exists

00:14:25.460 this

00:14:25.760 feeling

00:14:26.720 of

00:14:26.980 romance

00:14:27.740 it's

00:14:30.000 not

00:14:30.700 just

00:14:30.980 something

00:14:31.400 for 0.94

00:14:31.700 silly 0.99

00:14:31.980 teenagers 1.00

00:14:32.540 that

00:14:34.700 there's

00:14:34.960 a

00:14:35.180 grander

00:14:36.220 romance

00:14:37.300 out there

00:14:37.900 and you

00:14:38.940 can't

00:14:39.120 really

00:14:39.300 understand

00:14:39.680 it

00:14:39.960 until

00:14:40.240 you've

00:14:40.520 progressed

00:14:40.920 through

00:14:41.500 the

00:14:42.180 heady

00:14:42.680 delirium

00:14:43.460 of

00:14:44.460 youthful

00:14:45.000 infatuation

00:14:45.820 but

00:14:47.280 there's

00:14:47.480 this

00:14:47.660 higher

00:14:47.960 form

00:14:48.460 out

00:14:48.680 there

00:14:49.000 and

00:14:50.940 when

00:14:51.060 we

00:14:51.220 don't

00:14:51.560 have

00:14:51.860 art

00:14:52.340 in

00:14:52.680 our

00:14:52.840 lives

00:14:53.120 when

00:14:53.240 we

00:14:53.340 don't

00:14:53.520 have

00:14:53.700 beauty

00:14:54.320 in

00:14:55.320 our

00:14:55.500 lives

00:14:56.000 we

00:14:56.680 we

00:14:58.300 have

00:14:58.460 no

00:14:58.660 knowledge

00:14:59.220 no

00:14:59.500 idea

00:15:00.040 that

00:15:01.200 this

00:15:01.420 thing

00:15:01.740 exists

00:15:02.280 out

00:15:02.520 there

00:15:02.740 that

00:15:02.900 there

00:15:03.080 is

00:15:03.440 this

00:15:03.780 grander

00:15:04.920 destination

00:15:06.000 and

00:15:06.900 so

00:15:07.280 when

00:15:07.780 all

00:15:07.920 we

00:15:08.060 value

00:15:08.320 is

00:15:08.520 prettiness

00:15:09.000 we

00:15:09.540 have

00:15:09.820 people

00:15:10.240 constantly

00:15:11.120 trying

00:15:11.680 to

00:15:12.300 relive

00:15:13.140 their

00:15:13.400 teenage

00:15:13.720 years

00:15:14.460 as

00:15:15.140 opposed

00:15:15.360 to

00:15:15.680 growing

00:15:16.400 and

00:15:16.720 finding

00:15:17.100 these

00:15:17.340 more

00:15:17.560 profound

00:15:18.380 truths

00:15:19.860 and

00:15:20.280 beauties

00:15:20.880 and

00:15:21.760 erotic

00:15:22.700 forms

00:15:23.080 of love

00:15:23.720 that are

00:15:24.900 underlying

00:15:25.600 that are

00:15:26.380 possible

00:15:28.240 through

00:15:30.680 after

00:15:31.440 getting

00:15:32.000 through

00:15:32.680 the

00:15:33.900 initial

00:15:34.240 forms

00:15:34.820 so

00:15:43.060 folks

00:15:43.260 don't

00:15:43.600 limit

00:15:43.940 yourself

00:15:44.520 to

00:15:45.700 the

00:15:45.820 world

00:15:46.060 of

00:15:46.200 the

00:15:46.340 pretty

00:15:46.600 find

00:15:48.420 the

00:15:48.620 world

00:15:48.920 of

00:15:49.220 the

00:15:49.400 truly

00:15:49.940 erotic

00:15:51.660 not

00:15:52.240 the

00:15:52.460 cheap

00:15:52.880 erotic

00:15:53.620 of

00:15:54.620 Friday

00:15:55.020 night

00:15:55.300 with

00:15:55.460 a

00:15:55.600 stranger

00:15:56.000 but

00:15:57.760 the

00:15:58.200 grand

00:15:59.480 erotic

00:16:00.300 of

00:16:02.220 where

00:16:02.940 it's

00:16:03.160 mixed

00:16:03.360 in

00:16:03.580 with

00:16:03.880 storge

00:16:05.200 and

00:16:06.460 phileas

00:16:08.100 and

00:16:08.940 agape

00:16:09.500 all of

00:16:10.800 them

00:16:10.940 at

00:16:11.120 once

00:16:11.520 find

00:16:13.940 that

00:16:14.180 form

00:16:14.500 of

00:16:14.640 love

00:16:14.960 and

00:16:16.500 surround

00:16:16.920 yourself

00:16:17.440 with

00:16:18.020 beauty

00:16:18.700 to

00:16:19.560 remind

00:16:19.980 yourself

00:16:20.500 that

00:16:21.400 even

00:16:21.800 though

00:16:22.380 you

00:16:23.580 are

00:16:23.700 going

00:16:23.880 through

00:16:24.100 times

00:16:24.440 of

00:16:24.600 loneliness

00:16:25.060 of

00:16:25.920 you're

00:16:26.900 walking

00:16:27.160 through

00:16:27.360 the

00:16:27.520 wasteland

00:16:28.180 that

00:16:30.000 this

00:16:30.480 this

00:16:31.640 does

00:16:32.240 exist

00:16:33.560 it's

00:16:34.640 not

00:16:34.940 just

00:16:35.160 pie

00:16:35.500 in

00:16:35.620 the

00:16:35.740 sky

00:16:36.000 it's

00:16:36.300 not

00:16:36.520 just

00:16:36.940 a

00:16:37.160 mirage

00:16:37.640 it

00:16:37.920 is

00:16:38.440 out

00:16:39.500 there

00:16:39.840 and

00:16:40.320 keep

00:16:40.540 your

00:16:40.700 eyes

00:16:40.960 on

00:16:41.120 that

00:16:41.340 destination

00:16:42.000 don't

00:16:42.920 get

00:16:43.300 distracted

00:16:44.340 while

00:16:45.580 you're

00:16:45.760 on

00:16:45.880 the

00:16:46.000 journey

00:16:46.300 folks

00:16:48.800 thanks

00:16:50.020 for

00:16:50.180 watching

00:16:50.640 and

00:16:51.800 if

00:16:51.960 you

00:16:52.340 enjoy

00:16:53.740 my

00:16:53.960 content

00:16:54.320 if

00:16:54.640 you

00:16:54.720 want

00:16:54.840 to

00:16:54.920 keep

00:16:55.080 seeing

00:16:55.440 more

00:16:56.040 content

00:16:56.440 like

00:16:56.700 this

00:16:57.000 I

00:16:58.140 ask

00:16:58.500 that

00:16:58.920 if

00:16:59.900 you

00:17:00.020 can

00:17:00.280 you

00:17:01.460 back

00:17:01.660 me

00:17:01.800 on

00:17:01.920 patron

00:17:02.260 one

00:17:03.720 dollar

00:17:04.000 a

00:17:04.160 month

00:17:04.340 gets

00:17:04.580 the

00:17:04.720 access

00:17:05.000 to

00:17:05.420 my

00:17:05.920 exclusive

00:17:07.200 patron

00:17:07.780 only

00:17:08.080 podcast

00:17:08.520 each

00:17:08.920 week

00:17:09.200 as

00:17:10.120 well

00:17:10.280 as

00:17:10.560 some

00:17:11.080 other

00:17:11.280 content

00:17:11.780 anyway

00:17:13.320 thanks

00:17:13.900 for

00:17:14.060 listening

00:17:14.420 deus

00:17:15.980 bolt

00:17:16.340 and

00:17:17.060 erinia

00:17:41.780 about

00:17:44.640 you

00:17:44.660 so

00:17:45.760 people

00:17:46.300 you

00:17:50.840 you

00:17:51.400 you

00:17:51.440 you

00:17:53.480 you

Leo D.M.J. Aurini - June 24, 2017

Without Beauty There is only Lust

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