The philosopher Elaine Scarry has observed that "beauty always takes place in the particular." Cruelty, on the other hand, prefers abstraction.
In "Eating Animals," Jonathan Safran Foer references philosopher Elaine Scarry's insight that beauty is always tied to specific instances or details. This perspective suggests that true beauty can only be experienced through the tangible and unique, emphasizing the importance of context and particularity in finding beauty in the world around us.
Conversely, cruelty operates on a more abstract level, detached from the specificities of individual experiences. This distinction highlights how cruelty can thrive in a generalized or impersonal framework, allowing it to overlook the consequences of actions on particular beings. In this way, Foer draws a compelling contrast between the nature of beauty and the nature of cruelty, suggesting that engaging with the particulars can lead to a deeper understanding of both.
