Throughout history, philosophers have debated whether beauty is objective and universal or subjective. Some believed that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, whereas others like Da Vinci and Thomas Aquinas believed it was an independent quality that appealed to everyone regardless of their personal taste. This debate was heightened in the modern era when scientific advancements necessitated a reappraisal of many concepts including beauty.
In the ancient world, beauty was seen as a link between finite humans and the infinite divine. Philosophers like Plato and Plotinus argued that beautiful things were essential to the soul, and that ugliness was a reflection of the imperfect world. These ideas shaped the prevailing standards of beauty and influenced many aspects of our cultural and social practices.
However, a growing belief in the scientific value of knowledge led to the development of a unique branch of philosophy known as aesthetics, and beauty began to lose relevance as a philosophical concept. The emergence of modern science also necessitated a change in thinking that prioritized rationality over emotion and religion.
For the first time, it became clear that beauty was not an independent and objective quality but rather a subjective response to objects and experiences. This was reflected in the fact that people could not agree on what objects were beautiful and often disagreed about which of the many theories of beauty were correct.
Aristotle, who was a student of Plato, took a more dispassionate approach to his examination of beauty than his mentor and tried to find out how beauty worked by looking at it from the standpoint of a craftsman. He concluded that the most important characteristics of beauty are magnitude and ordered arrangement. According to Aristotle, a beautiful object must be able to induce a feeling of pleasure and delight in the person who beholds it.
He goes on to say that beautiful objects must not only elicit feelings of enjoyment, but must also be “intelligible” and capable of stimulating the intellect and stirring the emotions. This is why he deemed tragic dramas the quintessential form of beauty, as tragedy is capable of rousing both the emotions and the intellect.
It is conventional in ancient treatments of beauty to pay tribute to the pleasures which it must always evoke, and this is particularly evident in Plotinus’ Enneads, where beauty is described as a kind of sublime “formedness.” This is a state of rapture and delight, which is not the same as mere enjoyment, but which is more intense and encompassing than simple pleasure.
For modern times, a woman’s beauty is based on her personality, character, and attitude towards people. A woman who is passionate about life, shows compassion and respect for other human beings, pursues her intellect, keeps a sense of adventure, refuses to give up, and believes that she is worthy, creates an energy that will light up the lives of everyone around her. In other words, she is beautiful inside and out!