The Philosophy of Beauty

The Philosophy of Beauty

Beauty is often described as the subjective aspect of particular objects, which makes these objects pleasant to see. These objects may include nature, humans, landscapes and artistic works of art. Beauty, along with personal taste and aesthetics, is the most significant topic of aesthetics, among the various branches of modern philosophy. The word ‘beauty’ is derived from the Greek word ‘bija’ which means beauty.

According to some philosophers, beauty consists of the sum total of all the pleasing qualities of a thing (including its outer beauty), its being as good as it possibly can be, its having no defects and its ability to endure for an indefinite time. Others believe that beauty is primarily subjective, being dependent on the person viewing the object, its appeal, its form and color, and other aspects such as size, shape, position, texture, and emotion. It is also believed to be related to our personal culture, meaning that the things which we find appealing in other cultures are also attractive to us. In many instances, however, the definition of beauty varies between individuals and can sometimes depend on culture, tradition and the society in which an object or creation is presented.

Philosophers distinguish three types of beauty namely, inner beauty, exterior beauty and the beauty which are appearance-based. The intrinsic beauty, on the other hand, is beauty which is independent of a person’s personal opinion. It is this form of beauty which is the most popularly known as the ‘natural beauty’ of a body in motion, or of a landscape, for example. The concept of beauty has also been related to truth, as it has been argued that the idea of beauty lies in the mind of the beholder, rather than in the reality of things. Therefore, while many people find beauty in nature and others in art and culture, what really constitutes beauty has been controversial from the very beginning. In fact, the search for the real beauty has long been an argument among cultures, classes and even countries, as each group tries to prove its own superiority.