The Argument for God from Beauty

Beauty provides a compelling argument for the existence of God because it reveals objective properties that transcend human subjectivity. While individual tastes may vary, beauty is not merely “in the eye of the beholder.” Certain phenomena—such as the intricate design of a flower, the vast expanse of the cosmos, or the mathematical precision of a snowflake—exhibit universal principles of harmony, order, and purpose. These qualities suggest an ultimate source of beauty: God.

Beauty demonstrates intrinsic properties, including symmetry, proportion, harmony, and transcendence. Symmetry reflects balance and design; proportion reveals mathematical precision; harmony unites disparate elements into a cohesive whole; and transcendence inspires awe, pointing beyond the material world. These characteristics are not arbitrary; they are recognized across cultures and ages, underscoring their objective nature. For instance, the Fibonacci sequence—a mathematical pattern found in natural phenomena such as sunflower spirals, pinecones, and galaxies—reveals an inherent order that cannot be reduced to randomness.¹ This order reflects the work of a Creator who embeds beauty into creation as a reflection of His own nature: “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and the expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1, LSB).²

A Syllogism for the Argument from Beauty

Premise 1: If objective beauty exists, it requires an ultimate, transcendent source.

Premise 2: Objective beauty exists, as evidenced by its universal properties (e.g., symmetry, proportion, harmony, transcendence).

Conclusion: Therefore, objective beauty requires an ultimate, transcendent source—God.

Addressing Common Objections

Critics often claim that beauty is subjective, yet certain aspects of beauty are universally acknowledged. Philosopher Roger Scruton writes, “Beauty is not just a subjective feeling; it is a call to attention, an invitation to a shared experience of something beyond ourselves.”³ The awe inspired by the starry heavens, Michelangelo’s Pietà, or Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony transcends personal preference, evoking wonder across cultures and time periods.⁴ While individual tastes may differ—some prefer modern art, others classical—both can exhibit beauty grounded in objective principles. Beauty, therefore, is not reducible to personal opinion; rather, it functions as a signpost pointing to a divine source.

Furthermore, ugliness is best understood as the absence or distortion of beauty. Just as darkness is the absence of light, ugliness reflects the degree to which something lacks beauty’s properties. Philosopher Nicholas Wolterstorff observes, “Ugliness is not a property in itself but a failure of something to embody the order, harmony, and fullness that constitute beauty.”⁵ For example, a decayed landscape or a dissonant noise lacks beauty because it is deficient in order, proportion, or harmony. Ugliness does not negate the existence of beauty; instead, it confirms beauty’s objective reality by highlighting its absence.

Beauty as Evidence of Transcendence

The argument from beauty aligns with the Christian understanding of God as the Creator of all that is good and beautiful. Genesis affirms, “And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31, LSB). Beauty inspires awe and wonder, leading the human heart toward worship and a longing for something beyond the material. Augustine famously observed, “Late have I loved You, beauty so ancient and so new; late have I loved You.”⁶ This longing suggests that the experience of beauty is not merely aesthetic but deeply spiritual, pointing to an ultimate source. Philosopher Peter Kreeft underscores this connection: “Beauty is the signature of God. It is God’s calling card, reminding us that there is more to life than the material.”⁷

Beauty’s ability to evoke transcendence is further evidenced by its universality. Neuroscientific studies have shown that the human brain responds to beauty with feelings of awe and joy, which often lead to contemplation of life’s greater meaning.⁸ This response is difficult to explain under a purely materialistic framework. The anthropologist Denis Dutton notes, “Our sense of beauty is not an evolutionary accident; it reflects an encounter with the very essence of the world’s intelligibility.”⁹ Such observations reinforce the argument that beauty’s transcendent qualities point beyond nature to a supernatural Creator.

Conclusion

Beauty, with its universal and transcendent qualities, provides a powerful argument for the existence of God. Far from being subjective or relative, beauty possesses objective properties that reflect design, purpose, and intentionality. These objective qualities point to a transcendent source—God. Beauty draws the human heart toward awe, wonder, and worship, serving as a signpost to the divine. As Dostoevsky famously wrote, “Beauty will save the world.”¹⁰

Footnotes

¹ Ian Stewart, Nature’s Numbers: The Unreal Reality of Mathematics (New York: Basic Books, 1995), 115–16.

² Psalm 19:1, Legacy Standard Bible.

³ Roger Scruton, Beauty: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011), 30–31.

⁴ Elaine Scarry, On Beauty and Being Just (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999), 24.

⁵ Nicholas Wolterstorff, Art in Action: Toward a Christian Aesthetic (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 47–48.

⁶ Augustine, Confessions, trans. Henry Chadwick (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), 3.

⁷ Peter Kreeft, The Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2005), 72.

⁸ Semir Zeki, “Neural Correlates of Beauty,” Journal of Neurophysiology 91, no. 4 (2004): 1699–1705.

⁹ Denis Dutton, The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution (New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2009), 15.

¹⁰ Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Idiot, trans. Constance Garnett (New York: Macmillan, 1914), 91.