The Concept of Beauty

The Concept of Beauty

Beauty is often defined as a subjective quality of certain objects which makes these objects enjoyable to see. Such objects could be sunsets, landscapes, humans and creative works of art. Beauty, along with personal taste and aesthetics, is the largest area of aesthetics, among the major branches of science. The word beauty derives from Greek words meaning beauty, form and logos which were used in the works of ancient Greek philosophers. The works of Aristotle sought to define beauty by an analysis of physical beauty.

Aristotle’s notion of beauty became part of the culture of the Greeks. It was Christopher Columbus who redefined beauty when he brought back the “New World” in the 14th century. The “anish paradox” is also attributed to him when he presented two slices of an apple which were obviously flawed. Later on, Sir Francis Bacon put forward the view that beauty is the only object worthy of desire. However, there are many philosophers who disagree with this definition of beauty, and they maintain that beauty has nothing to do with human feelings.

The physical beauty of a person, however, cannot be reduced to its psychological aspects. While psychology is said to be the study of “the way” a thing looks, physical beauty is taken to be the “how.” A well-built house may not be attractive because of its exterior decorations but it will be attractive because of its interior. The Greeks and the Romans considered beauty to be the most important of all values, and they looked for a perfect beauty which was associated with physical and mental excellence.