The author elaborates the idea of modern aesthetics that thenotion of “beautiful” is not a fundamental category of modern art and modernphilosophy of art. Under the direct influence of science and arts modernphilosophy has added to the categories such notions as probability, absurdity,the mundane, the understanding etc. On the other hand a new understanding ofsociety and man prompted the introduction of such categories as lifeworld, fear,solitariness, care, doubt, language games etc. It has become evident that manycategories are not only blurred but rather heterogeneous, thus the “system ofcategories” is something to be referred to with considerable reservations.The article proposes a preliminary definition and interpretation of the beautifuland the main principles of the analysis of the beautiful. In the most general andtentative terms the “beautiful” can be defined as something that complies withthe idea of beauty accepted in a given society or civilization. Ideas of beauty canvary from culture to culture and from civilization to civilization. This is no to saythat certain, albeit few, objects cannot be considered beautiful throughout manyhistorical epochs. Standards of beauty as well as social standards in general,do not refer to any object but only to certain types of objects. Consequently“beautiful” is always “beautiful of a kind”. Beauty in general does not exist, thereare only beautiful objects of a definite kind.The article maintains that there are at least three reasons why the “beautiful”cannot be verbally defined. The first is methodological, the second is social andthe third is related to the peculiarities of the beautiful itself, primarily it sensualnature. In the first place the degree of clarity of scientific notions depends on thelevel of the development of science. The scientific study of arts is a never-endingventure. And while it continues, its categories and in particular the category ofthe beautiful will require clarification.