Beauty is something that is associated with the suitability of an object to its purpose. This definition of beauty has been argued for centuries, dating back to the earliest Greek philosophers. Aristippus of Cyrene took a more direct approach to the subject, while Socrates argues that beauty is a necessary attribute of anything we use. The question remains, what is beauty, and what is the appropriate definition of beauty? Here are some possible answers.
According to Santayana, beauty is the object or experience of pleasure that one feels. The object or experience causing the pleasure is what prompts beauty judgment. The object of the beauty judgment is its purpose, allowing it to have both a rational and an aesthetic meaning. In other words, beauty is a subjective, albeit important, attribute. It is not necessarily superior to truth or justice. The distinction is more subtle than it sounds, though. But it remains a useful way to define beauty.
The concept of beauty has been questioned throughout history. Most early twentieth-century philosophers ignored it as an issue, claiming that beauty is an unimportant attribute in and of itself. In the case of political associations of beauty, it has been ignored in social justice movements and early twentieth-century philosophy. The concept of beauty is also problematic in terms of race, gender, and other aspects. Ultimately, it is a question of personal preference and the pleasure of experience.
In the eighteenth century, political entanglements of beauty brought into question traditional theories of beauty. In the British Isles, beauty had been associated with pleasure in a different way. Locke distinguished between primary and secondary qualities and considered color as a phantasm of the mind. Similarly, while attempting to define beauty, he argued that “a beautiful face is beautiful because it evokes pleasure.”
Philosophers have long argued about the nature of beauty, as it is a perennial issue in philosophical aesthetics. While beauty has long been considered a primary value, its definition has changed throughout the centuries. The ancient Greeks and Hellenistics considered beauty a primary value, as did the medievals. Some nineteenth-century thinkers have also tackled the issue. This article is only a short summary of a few of the most important debates on beauty.
Aristotle and Plato also disagreed on the definition of beauty. According to their view, beauty is the perfect arrangement of parts into a harmonious whole. This conception of beauty is expressed in classical architecture, sculpture, music, and literature. For example, the sun and stars are beautiful without being symmetrical, but the beauty law is still valid. It would be impossible to construct a beautiful sculpture without considering these factors. And, unlike Aristotle, there is no one correct definition of beauty.
Generally, beauty is subjective. The objective definition of beauty is subjective, and the concept of beauty varies from person to person. Some of us agree on what makes a beautiful face attractive, but there is a huge variation in the definitions of beauty. Some six-month-olds prefer looking at the same attractive faces that adults like to look at. It is unclear whether this phenomenon is widespread among adults or not. However, it has a profound impact on human society.