Why Beauty Matters by Roger Scruton

A 2009 Documentary film directed by Louise Lockwood and written and presented by the philosopher Roger Scruton.

Contemporary philosopher Roger Scruton presents a strong argument for the importance of beauty in our art and in our lives, and explores what truly is and is not beautiful, regardless of its beholder. In the 20th century, Scruton argues, art, architecture and music turned their backs on beauty, making a cult of ugliness and leading us into a spiritual desert.

Using the thoughts of philosophers from Plato to Kant, and by talking to artists Michael Craig-Martin and Alexander Stoddart, Scruton analyses where art went wrong and presents his own impassioned case for restoring beauty to its traditional position at the center of our civilization.