The Philosophy of Beauty

The Philosophy of Beauty

Beauty is often defined as the result of the aesthetic quality of certain objects, which makes these objects enjoyable to see. Such objects may include sunsets, natural landscapes, beautiful humans and creative works of art. Beauty, along with beauty and art, is the most important theme of aesthetics, another of the numerous branches of contemporary philosophy. Aesthetic appreciation of beauty originated in ancient Greece where artists strove to demonstrate the physical beauties of women by means of paintings and sculptures. In the modern era, beauty has been considered to be subjective, which suggests that the definition of beauty varies according to individual preference.

The word beauty is derived from the Greek words genes (gift) and pheur (beauty). It is related to the culture-specific term of beauty which is used to describe the aesthetic quality of a cultural or physical object. Geleos, for example, refers to the beauty of a beautiful landscape. Pheur on the other hand, refers to the beauty found in human forms and especially human art.

There are many different opinions on what constitutes beauty. Some believe that beauty is inherent in all human beings while others emphasize the beauty of certain human forms such as the human form in art and architecture. Others still define beauty according to the value they place on beauty in various cultural, political and economic aspects. Thus, beauty is an attitude, an experience and a personal sense of appreciation.