Transformation from vice to virtue, a surreal representation of moral beauty.

Moral Beauty: Can Virtue Be Truly Beautiful?

Nico Varela in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Exploring the Connection Between Ethics and Aesthetics in Modern Thought"

In contemporary aesthetics, there's a growing trend to limit what we consider beautiful or ugly. This narrow view is stifling progress and preventing aesthetics from contributing to other important areas of study. One casualty of this trend is the concept of moral beauty, which suggests that virtues are beautiful and vices are ugly.

This neglect stems from the assumption that virtues and vices simply cannot be aesthetic qualities. Panos Paris challenges this assumption by exploring how moral beauty can be a coherent and valuable perspective. By re-examining the concept of form, Paris argues that virtues and vices can indeed possess aesthetic qualities, deserving serious consideration in both aesthetics and ethics.

This article delves into the core question: Can moral attributes be beautiful or ugly? We explore how redefining ‘form’ allows us to appreciate moral beauty, bridging the gap between what is ethical and what is aesthetically pleasing. Join us as we unpack this fascinating intersection of philosophy and everyday life.

What is Moral Beauty and Why Does It Matter?

Transformation from vice to virtue, a surreal representation of moral beauty.

The concept of moral beauty suggests that virtues, such as kindness, honesty, and courage, are inherently beautiful, while vices, like cruelty, dishonesty, and cowardice, are ugly. This perspective, championed by thinkers like Shaftesbury, Hutcheson, Hume, and Smith, posits that our moral character can be assessed through an aesthetic lens, similar to how we judge art or nature.

Understanding moral beauty matters because it enriches both aesthetics and value theory. Berys Gaut suggests that moral beauty implies ethicism, where moral merits and demerits in art are also aesthetic merits and demerits. This view also influences discussions on moral motivation, education, and the symmetry between moral and aesthetic domains. By considering moral qualities as aesthetic, we open new avenues for understanding ethical behavior and its impact on our perception.

Ethicism: Morality influences aesthetics in art.
Moral Motivation: Understanding what motivates virtuous actions.
Aesthetic Virtues: Recognizing virtues within aesthetic experiences.
Symmetry: Balancing moral and aesthetic considerations.

Despite its historical significance, moral beauty has been largely overlooked, often dismissed as either loose talk or a category mistake. Critics argue that virtues and vices aren’t the kinds of things that can be beautiful or ugly. This dismissal overlooks the potential for moral qualities to possess 'form,' a key component of aesthetic appreciation.

Rethinking Beauty and Ugliness

By re-evaluating the concept of form, this exploration broadens what we consider beautiful or ugly, extending aesthetic appreciation to moral virtues and vices. This perspective acknowledges that qualities often deemed inappropriate for aesthetic consideration are, in fact, apt for such evaluation. As philosophers have long suggested, moral virtues and vices can indeed be beautiful and ugly, inviting a richer, more integrated understanding of ethics and aesthetics.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1111/meta.12332, Alternate LINK

Title: On Form, And The Possibility Of Moral Beauty

Subject: Philosophy

Journal: Metaphilosophy

Publisher: Wiley

Authors: Panos Paris

Published: 2018-10-01

Everything You Need To Know

What is moral beauty, and why should it matter to our understanding of ethics and aesthetics?

Moral beauty suggests that virtues like kindness, honesty, and courage are inherently beautiful, while vices such as cruelty, dishonesty, and cowardice are considered ugly. This viewpoint, supported by philosophers like Shaftesbury, Hutcheson, Hume, and Smith, allows us to evaluate moral character aesthetically, similar to how we appreciate art or nature. It is important because understanding moral beauty enriches aesthetics and value theory. Berys Gaut suggests moral beauty implies ethicism, where moral merits and demerits in art are also aesthetic merits and demerits. This understanding influences discussions on moral motivation, education, and the symmetry between moral and aesthetic domains, paving the way for fresh insights into ethical behavior and perception. However, some critics dismiss moral beauty as a category mistake, arguing that virtues and vices cannot be beautiful or ugly, overlooking their potential to possess 'form.'

How does 'ethicism' relate to the concept of moral beauty, and what implications does it have for art?

Ethicism, as described by Berys Gaut, is the idea that moral considerations influence aesthetic judgments in art. In other words, the moral merits or demerits of a work of art can also be seen as aesthetic merits or demerits. This perspective bridges ethics and aesthetics, suggesting that our moral values can shape our aesthetic experiences and judgments. Exploring ethicism within the framework of moral beauty allows for a deeper understanding of how art reflects and shapes our moral perceptions and values, thereby affecting moral motivation and education. It also encourages a symmetry between moral and aesthetic considerations.

Why is the concept of 'form' important in understanding moral beauty?

The concept of 'form' is crucial because it allows us to see virtues and vices as having aesthetic qualities, thereby challenging the narrow view that only certain things can be beautiful or ugly. By re-evaluating 'form,' we can appreciate how moral attributes possess aesthetic qualities. This broader perspective integrates ethics and aesthetics, enriching our understanding of both domains. Recognizing form in moral contexts means acknowledging that moral virtues and vices are not just abstract concepts but can manifest in ways that evoke aesthetic responses, such as admiration for courage or repulsion from cruelty.

In what ways can understanding moral beauty enhance 'moral motivation'?

Moral motivation delves into understanding what drives virtuous actions. Considering virtues as beautiful can inspire and reinforce ethical behavior. When individuals perceive moral qualities aesthetically, it can provide a stronger impetus to cultivate and exhibit virtues. By recognizing that virtues and vices possess 'form,' we enhance our appreciation for the impact of ethical choices on our perceptions. This symmetry between moral and aesthetic considerations motivates ethical behavior by appealing to our aesthetic sensibilities.

What does it mean to consider the 'symmetry' between moral and aesthetic considerations, and how does that influence our perception?

Viewing virtues and vices through an aesthetic lens, we find a symmetry between moral and aesthetic domains. This symmetry encourages a balanced consideration of both moral and aesthetic values. If virtues are inherently beautiful and vices are inherently ugly, then moral and aesthetic judgments can align, enriching our perception of both. Exploring this symmetry expands our understanding of ethical behavior and its impact on our perception. To achieve this symmetry, rethinking ‘form’ is essential, allowing for a more integrated understanding of ethics and aesthetics, even though ethicism may come into play.