BEAUTY AND CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN A WORLD THAT GLORIFIES UGLINESS

INTRODUCTION: BEAUTY AS A REFLECTION OF GOD

In the Catholic tradition, beauty has always been a reflection of divine perfection, a tangible manifestation of God’s order, goodness, and love. Since creation, beauty presents itself to us as a mark of the divine, a doorway inviting man to contemplate the mystery and grandeur of the Creator. This vision, deeply rooted in the teachings of the Church Fathers and thinkers like St. Thomas Aquinas, has guided generations of educators, artists, and theologians, who have understood that beauty is not only found in art but also in the formation of the soul. The goal of Catholic education, therefore, is not just to transmit knowledge but to guide the soul toward virtue through beauty.

However, in the modern world, ugliness has gained dangerous prominence, distorting the perception of reality. Especially in children, whose souls are vulnerable and malleable, this distortion is even more perilous. Through popular cultural products—such as toys, movies, and music—the grotesque, the disordered, and the empty have replaced classical beauty, uprooting children’s ability to discern what is true, good, and beautiful.

This article aims to highlight the importance of beauty in childhood education, demonstrating how educating in beauty is an indispensable path to virtue and transcendence. We will draw from the teachings of great Catholic educators, from St. John Bosco to Catherine L’Ecuyer, and from the principles of St. Thomas Aquinas, who understood that beauty is not simply an adornment but a formative virtue.

BEAUTY ACCORDING TO THE CATHOLIC TRADITION: A THOMISTIC REFLECTION

For St. Thomas Aquinas, beauty is defined by three fundamental characteristics: integrity (integritas), proportion or harmony (consonantia), and clarity (claritas). These qualities not only describe what makes an object beautiful but also represent the divine order that governs the universe. Contemplating beauty leads man to deeper reflection on reality and the divine order that sustains it. This perception is crucial in education since when a child is exposed to beauty, they are introduced to the mystery of God, who is the source of all beauty.

1. Integrity

Integrity refers to fullness, to that which is complete in itself. In the context of education, this means that children should be presented with images, concepts, and objects that are not fragmented or distorted. Modern toys, often caricatured or disproportionate, violate this principle, teaching children to accept incompleteness as normal. As Patricio Horacio Randle observes in his work The Loss of the Classical Ideal in Education: “Modern man, in his pursuit of practicality and immediacy, has lost sight of human integrity, creating fragmented and incomplete individuals.” This deterioration is also evident in children’s culture, where models and characters are promoted without any sense of fullness or balance.

2. Proportion

Proportion is the harmony between the parts of a whole. In classical music, for example, children can find a perfect proportion that reflects the order of the cosmos. This elevated musical experience is essential in cultivating a sense of order and beauty in the child. However, modern music for children, with its disordered rhythms and banal lyrics, introduces a distorted view of reality into their minds, disorienting their aesthetic and moral sensitivity. Here, we see how proportion, an essential characteristic of beauty, becomes distorted, affecting the child’s character formation.

3. Clarity

Clarity or luminosity is the quality by which something beautiful presents itself in a comprehensible and accessible way. In childhood education, clarity should be reflected not only in what is taught but also in how it is taught. St. John Bosco, one of the greatest Catholic educators, insisted that moral and spiritual clarity was fundamental in guiding children toward God. He said, “Education is a matter of the heart, and God is its master. We cannot achieve anything unless God gives us the key to this heart.” The educator, like an artist molding a work of art, must present truth and beauty clearly so that the child’s soul may be drawn toward them.

THE GLORIFICATION OF UGLINESS IN THE MODERN WORLD

Today, children are constantly exposed to an aesthetic that glorifies ugliness. From toys with grotesque shapes to animated films that feature deformed characters and chaotic settings, modern culture promotes a disordered and disharmonious view of the world. As Patricio Randle asserts: “Modern man has developed, to the fullest extent, the necessary faculties to produce what we call science and technology… But does he also possess the necessary dispositions to master everything in such a way that an authentic culture emerges?”

Constant exposure to these elements distorts the child’s innate ability to appreciate beauty and, consequently, their ability to recognize good and truth. Beauty, in its essence, is linked to virtue, and by depriving children of it, we are depriving them of one of the most important tools for their moral development. Today’s education, instead of forming complete individuals, is creating fragmented ones, incapable of achieving a true understanding of the common good.

EDUCATING IN BEAUTY AS A PATH TO VIRTUE

Educating in beauty is not simply an aesthetic matter; it is a matter of moral and spiritual formation. St. John Bosco deeply understood this when he founded his educational system based on reason, religion, and kindness, where the beauty of creation and virtue held a central place. In his words: “It is necessary for the child to learn to love what is good and beautiful from an early age so that when they grow up, they can clearly distinguish between evil and ugliness in the world.”

Catherine L’Ecuyer, in her book Educating in Wonder, explores how beauty is a gateway to wonder, and wonder, in turn, is the engine of learning. When a child encounters something beautiful—a landscape, a musical piece, a work of art—their soul opens to the greatness of mystery, to the transcendence of God. L’Ecuyer asserts that wonder is a natural quality of children, but that modern culture, with its overstimulation and focus on the ugly and the fast-paced, is killing this ability.

THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF THE FAMILY IN EDUCATING IN BEAUTY

The family is the first sanctuary of beauty. It is within the home that the child learns to contemplate beauty not only in the nature that surrounds them but also in the tenderness of their parents’ love, in the generosity of a gesture, in the harmony that pervades family life. Parents are the primary guides in this education of the soul, leading their children by the hand to discover beauty in the simple and everyday: in a blooming flower, in the song of a bird, in the majesty of a sunset, in the smile of a sibling.

Catherine L’Ecuyer reminds us that educating in beauty is not just an aesthetic pursuit but a formation of the child’s heart and mind to recognize the order and harmony that reflect God. Teaching a child to marvel is not just a lesson in aesthetics; it is a lesson in love. In contemplating beauty in nature and art, the child learns to recognize God in all creation, and in that act, their soul is elevated.

Parents, as the first educators, have the responsibility to offer their children an environment filled with beauty, both physical and spiritual. From organizing a clean and orderly home to selecting books, music, and art that elevate the soul, every detail matters. The family thus becomes a sanctuary where the ordinary transforms into a constant revelation of the divine. Educating in beauty is, in this sense, educating in virtue, as beauty orients the soul toward what is good and true.

THE VALUE OF BEAUTY AGAINST UTILITARIANISM

One of modernity’s great mistakes has been reducing the value of things to their practical utility. Catherine L’Ecuyer highlights that beauty has value in itself, not because it is useful, but because it touches the soul. In a world that values the material and the immediate, educating children in beauty teaches them to appreciate what enriches the soul, even when it has no utilitarian purpose. Beauty elevates the spirit because it is connected to what is true and good, offering the child a broader perspective of life, one that goes beyond mere functionality.

PROTECTION AGAINST THE TRIVIALIZATION OF BEAUTY

In a culture where beauty is constantly trivialized, it is essential to teach children to distinguish between superficial and authentic beauty. Catherine L’Ecuyer emphasizes that true beauty has a transformative depth, while beauty reduced to mere visual or superficial stimulus lacks the power to elevate the soul. Exposing children to beauty in their everyday surroundings—whether in nature, art, or music—fosters a sensitivity that protects them from the trivialization promoted by many forms of modern entertainment.

BEAUTY AND VIRTUE: FORGING CHARACTER THROUGH EDUCATION

St. Thomas Aquinas viewed beauty as a virtue, not only in the aesthetic sense but also as a quality that forms the soul. The virtue of temperance, for example, teaches moderation in desires but also to appreciate beauty appropriately, without falling into excess or superficiality. Formation in beauty, then, is also a formation in virtue. By teaching children to find joy in beauty and in the order of the soul, we are forming complete human beings, capable of discerning what is truly important.

CONCLUSION: THE PROMISE OF REDEMPTION THROUGH BEAUTY

In educating children in beauty, we are not only shaping their aesthetic sensitivity but also their ability to recognize what is good and true. It is an educational path that prepares them for a virtuous and contemplative life, distancing them from the superficiality of the modern world. True Catholic education must be an integral formation that encompasses not only the mind but also the heart and soul of the child. Only then can we form new generations capable of resisting the distortions of contemporary culture and seeking, in all things, the truth, goodness, and beauty that lead us to God.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae.

2. St. John Bosco, Memoirs of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales.

3. Catherine L’Ecuyer, Educating in Wonder.

4. Patricio Horacio Randle, The Loss of the Classical Ideal in Education.