Beauty is an emotion that is felt when a person appreciates something, such as a beautiful painting or a beautiful landscape. It is also the emotion that makes you want to protect someone, such as your child or a beloved pet.
The concept of beauty has been around for thousands of years. There are several approaches to it, including some that are more objective than others. These views have helped to shape Western philosophy and art for hundreds of years.
Objectivist Approaches to Beauty
Some philosophers, such as Kant, believe that beauty is an objective quality that is inextricably tied to pleasure. They believe that all things are beautiful because they are made by God. Moreover, they believe that beauty inspires a sense of purpose and responsibility, which is necessary for moral behavior.
Another approach to beauty is the idealist theory, which is found in Plato and many other philosophers. Among the elements that make this theory attractive are its adherence to the rules of symmetry and proportion, and its belief that beauty is an expression of perfection.
These principles of symmetry and proportion have been a staple of classical aesthetics, but they have been contested over the centuries by different schools of thought. They have been defended by both anti-rationalists and advocates of ecstatic neo-Platonism, such as Plotinus, who think that beauty is a manifestation of perfect unity.
Aristotle’s Classical Account of Beauty
The earliest and most explicit formulation of this conception was made in the early sixth century by Aristotle, who argued that beauty depends on the right proportion of the parts. This means that each part must stand in its right place and the body as a whole must have symmetrical shapes.
During the Renaissance, the idea of beauty became more concrete. Artists conceived of beauty as the goal of their works. This idea became widespread, and the term was used to describe everything from paintings to architecture.
In the modern period, however, a new approach to beauty was developed. It differed from the classical concept in three ways:
First, it placed greater emphasis on the observable qualities of the objects being judged as beautiful; second, it de-emphasized moral beauty; and third, it ignored the evident “beauty” in mathematics and nature.
These characteristics are all important to a proper understanding of beauty, but they don’t explain it all. In fact, they can be misleading.
It may be more accurate to say that a person is beautiful because of their soul, which is their inner self. This is what gives them happiness and makes them feel good about themselves.
This is why it is so important to spend time working on your inner self, rather than constantly trying to reshape your outer appearance. This is the way that you can truly unlock your true potential and make a difference in the world.
You can start by identifying the influences in your life that have caused you to form a definition of beauty that doesn’t really fit you. Try to get a list together of all the people and things that have influenced your view of beauty. Then, choose the influences that you want to replace with your own definition of beauty.