AN ESSAY ON BEAUTY: SOME IMPLICATIONS OF BEAUTY IN THE NATURAL WORLD

Abstract. The beauty of the universe presented by modern science under the positivist approach is regarded as sufficiently great that human contemplative capabilities are exceeded. An example of bottom-up viewing is presented and described as capable of producing levels of excitement best described as dangerous neurological storms. The existential quiescence resulting from apprehension of so much grandeur is discussed. It is suggested that our religious propensities need extensive rehabilitation and that appreciation of the beauty revealed by the positivists is likely to result in a cosmic paradigm shift that could destabilize traditional views of human identity.