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  The Beauty of Storytelling and the Story of Beauty

  Vol. 75 No. 2 (2025)

  Under the title The Beauty of Storytelling and the Story of Beauty, this special issue of The Polish Journal of Aesthetics explores the intricate and reciprocal relationship between the narrative impulse and aesthetic valuation, asking how beauty emerges, transforms, and persists within acts of narration. Storytelling has accompanied humanity since the dawn of time: as long as human collectives have existed, so too have stories. In the social sciences and humanities, narratives are recognized not merely as forms of entertainment, but as fundamental tools for self-knowledge, the interpretation of the world, and the construction of social bonds. Yet the question remains: what is the place of beauty in this discursive and cultural practice today?

  Over a century ago, the artistic avant-gardes challenged the primacy of beauty, displacing it from its position as the paramount aesthetic value in favor of originality, shock, and innovation. In the complex landscape of the twenty-first century, this contestation continues, further complicated by the proliferation of new media and the development of Artificial Intelli gence (AI), which introduce new dimensions for scrutinizing authorship, intentionality, and aesthetic ideals. In a tradition of aesthetic reflection that resists strict formalism, Władysław Tatarkiewicz proposed that beauty may be understood as an inherent feature of narrative itself, encompassing both form and content “whether it be color, sound, or thought.”

  This issue argues that the story of beauty is far from over; rather, it is continuously being rewritten through diverse narrative modalities. The volume bears witness to the heterogeneity of storytelling practices, forms, and media, recognizing narrative as a potent vehicle for comprehending reality. From ancient myths and legends to contemporary reportages, immersive digital environments, and algorithmically generated stories, the essence of storytelling remains remarkably resilient. It enables the taming of fears, the preservation of cultural values, and the projection of possible futures. Through stories, the past intersects with the future, and individual experi ences are woven into the rich fabric of collective memory.

  The contributions gathered in this issue approach storytelling not only as an art form, but also as a methodological perspective, particularly within art-based research and qualitative inquiry. Drawing on narrative, several texts examine biographical and experiential accounts as instruments of meaning-making and identity construction. At the same time, the volume acknowledges an inherent ambivalence toward storytelling. On the one hand, narratives are valued for their authenticity, emotional resonance, and capacity to evoke empathy; on the other, they demand critical vigilance. The subtle play of emotions may blur the boundary between sincerity and staging, between shared meaning and manipulation.

  Importantly, this volume expands the notion of storytelling beyond verbal language. Stories do not always require words; they can be conveyed with equal force through images, sounds, dace, choreography, gestures, mu sic and performance practices. Design occupies a particular place within this expanded field, revealing patterns of existence and experience that often elude traditional scientific description.

  In The Beauty of Storytelling and the Story of Beauty, we invite readers to reflect on the contemporary condition of beauty as a fundamental aspect of narrative experience. The volume explores how human and non-human agencies, including AI, coexist in the creation of stories across time, cultures, and continents, reshaping established notions of authorship, creativity, and aesthetic responsibility. Whether digital, organic, embodied, or hybrid, narratives continue to enchant, persuade, and structure our understanding of the world. This issue ultimately proposes a renewed engagement with the classical Greek triad of truth, goodness, and beauty, reconsidered through the prism of narrative complexity, medial plurality, and contem porary cultural challenges. We ask, finally: is there still a place for beauty in the stories we tell about ourselves and our world, and if so, how is it being reimagined today?

   Joanna Szczepanik, Kalina Kukiełko