The Aesthetic Connection: Exploring the Link between Molavi's Poems and George Simmel's Theories

Abstract

The reflection on beauty and aesthetics holds significant importance when considering the noble and original works of Persian literature, necessitating a comparative analysis with Western aesthetic theories. It is imperative to possess a comprehensive understanding and familiarity with the disparities in the underpinnings of aesthetics between Western and Eastern cultures. This is because even within the Western context, artists' perspectives on existence, art, and aesthetic methodologies exhibit notable variations. For mystical poets such as Jalal al-Din Muḥammad Balkhi (Molavi, Molana, and Rumi) art and beauty represent a chapter in which beauty assumes the form of a vibrant and unparalleled verity, facilitating mankind's proximity to the divine essence. Additionally, art and aesthetics serve as a method for self-discovery, facilitating the attainment of comprehensive understanding and the pursuit of absolute perfection. Conversely, the philosophical and ideological foundations and concepts of this mystic artist within the realm of art and aesthetics predominantly revolve around divine and religious themes. Molana, a poet known for his profound insights, has imbued non-artistic discourse with artistic and aesthetic significance through the use of aesthetic functions and imagery in his poems, thereby effectively expressing his innovative and mystical ideas. George Simmel, a prominent German sociologist, has also contributed to the discourse on aesthetics. According to Simmel, the aesthetic form is regarded as a profound and fruitful phenomenon within the social order. Conversely, the sociological principles that establish order are the creators of aesthetics. According to Simmel, the complete possession of our souls is exclusively granted to the God we believe in and the art we derive pleasure from, as they are inherently endowed with this capacity from the outset. The objective of this study was to examine and compare the perspectives of a poet thinker, and sociologist regarding the concepts of art and beauty and also to elucidate the diverse sociocultural dimensions inherent in Masnavi, and draw comparisons with Simmel's sociological and aesthetic theories. This study employed a descriptive, analytical, and library-based approach to investigate the aesthetic expressions found in the poems of Rumi. Specifically, a comparison was made between these expressions and Simmel's theories, to identify both their shared characteristics and divergences. The aesthetic consensus between these two individuals is tantamount to their shared spiritual, ontological, and sociological encounters that converge on the fundamental nature of beauty.