Beauty and Goodness in Phrommachakra Khon Shadow Performance: Kantian Aesthetics and the Doctrine of Pāramī in Buddhist Philosophy
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Abstract
This research article aims to: 1) analyze the concept of disinterested beauty in the aesthetics of Immanuel Kant and compare it with the Buddhist doctrine of pāramī (perfections) in Theravāda philosophy as a framework of moral cultivation; and 2) examine how the Khon shadow performance Phrommachakra reflects the relationship between beauty and goodness.
The study adopts a qualitative approach through philosophical textual analysis, combined with a case study of the Phrommachakra Khon shadow performance as a contemporary aesthetic space.
The findings indicate that although Kantian aesthetics emphasizes beauty as a disinterested experience independent from moral purposes, in the context of performance art rooted in Buddhist Jātaka narratives, aesthetic beauty can function as a condition that allows audiences to freely contemplate moral virtues. In this sense, the Phrommachakra Khon shadow performance demonstrates the possibility of harmonizing beauty and goodness without reducing art to a mere moral instrument. Instead, aesthetic experience becomes a medium through which ethical reflection emerges. This study contributes to the dialogue between Western aesthetics and Buddhist philosophy within the context of contemporary Thai performing arts.
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References
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