WOLFISM XXXIV from Wolfie's blog

“Conscious morality is a form of aesthetics.”

I wrote that in my previous post, and upon re-reading, I decided it was worth delving into.

I first encountered the idea of morality as aesthetics in Anne Rice’s novel, “The Vampire Lestat,” in which the title character professes this moral viewpoint. Needless to say, a vampire who refuses to subsist on blood from blood banks is sure to have an unconventional moral code, if he has one at all. Lestat has one, and it’s unconventional, because it’s purely aesthetic. If an action is beautiful in his eyes, he does it. If it’s ugly in his eyes, he doesn’t do it. Bear in mind his aesthetic is a dark one, aiming at a dark beauty, which he’s able to find with his teeth in someone’s throat.

Academic philosophers want to draw a bright line between morality and aesthetics. Fuck them. They weary me. In the absence of objective morality – and it is absent for all of us except the “true believers” of various ilks – there are only two choices: moral nihilism or aesthetic morality. Academic philosophers can take their thousand-page dump of elephant shit, and when they’re done emptying their bowels, they will have said less than what I have said in the fourth sentence of this paragraph.

To paraphrase Keats: “Beauty is goodness, and goodness beauty, that is all ye know on earth—and all ye need to know.” I agree with that, with one caveat: Moral codes should not be stupid. You should not be sacrificing something you value highly for the sake of something you barely value. You should not be enduring great pain for the sake of a tepid joy. You should not be exerting tremendous effort for the sake of a miniscule victory. Don’t be stupid. Get bang for the buck.

My moral aesthetic is grounded in symmetry, which is a concept typically applied to works of arts. I seek symmetry between give and take, between reasonable expectations and what is actually done, and sometimes both at once. The five precepts in my previous post should illustrate this for you.

The elements of composition in the Western visual arts are balance, contrast, focus, motion, pattern, proportion, rhythm, and unity. You could creatively apply these elements to your moral aesthetic. Simply giving these some thought will kickstart the process of opening your mind. Contrast could apply to differences between how you treat one person versus how you treat another, all else being equal. Focus could apply to what you consider a moral concern in the first place. Motion could apply to how your current action could lead to future actions. Pattern could apply to questions of consistency. Proportion could apply to the size and scope of actions. Rhythm could apply to pre-planned sequences of related actions. Unity could apply to your overall life, or one whole day, journey, or undertaking, as a singular work of moral artistry. Only you can make these choices. You’re the artist. Own your aesthetic.  

Be a law unto yourself. I dub thee a Lord of Order. ISCHYROS DIAVOLOS!